After years of research and global collaboration, Professor Elena Bennett and her international colleagues have created the Society for Social Ecological Systems (SocSES), marking a new era in social ecological systems research.聽
The SocSES will provide a space for anyone interested in transdisciplinary research on social-ecological system to collaborate and share ideas.
Bennett, a professor in 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 Natural Resource Science and Bieler School of Environment, is a member of the transition team where she played a leading role in establishing the society.
鈥淭he society is for everyone, with a focus on those who are beginning their careers, to facilitate long-lasting, stable interconnections of international collaboration,鈥� said Bennett.
Social-ecological systems science is a cross-disciplinary field that examines the complex relationships between humans and the environment. It emphasizes relationships between ecological and social problems and offers solutions. Many of its researchers advocate for transformative solutions that balance human activities with ecological sustainability, while also promoting democratic participation and community engagement to create a more equitable and resilient world.
Bennett explained that social ecological systems are complex and require constant adaptation.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 like crossing a river with rapids where you can鈥檛 see the bottom. You feel for the next stone with your foot, plot a path, and then repeat the process,鈥� she said.
Throughout Bennet鈥檚 career, she has noted that while many local case studies exist within the SES field, there is a lack of international comparative analyses. 鈥淲e need to fill the gap, and that is what we intend to do with the SocSES,鈥� she said.
Prof. Garry Peterson, from Stockholm University and key figure in the society, explained that a social-ecological approach is more collaborative. It involves partnerships and connections between people and nature. According to Peterson, having a society like SocSES will enable comparative learning and cross-border comparisons, adding more depth and breadth to SES research.
鈥淚 think people in Sweden can learn from the relationship between mining and Indigenous people in Canada,鈥� he said while giving examples of potential international learning opportunities. Peterson also emphasized that close to half of social-ecological research is done with people outside of academia, with a focus on bringing action to the science.
According to Bennett, the BSE played a crucial role in making SocSES a reality. 鈥淭he school has been very welcoming, allowing me to pursue research that wasn鈥檛 strictly ecological or social. It gave me a home to pursue research that I thought was interesting and valuable,鈥� said Bennett. She praised the BSE for its bold approach to research ideas and topics.
The SocSES will, in many ways mirror this kind of approach by聽 empowering SES researchers while supporting their valuable research questions.聽
Prof. Berta Mart铆n-L贸pez of Leuphana University in L眉nburg Germany, who is also a member of the leading group explained, 鈥渙ur final intention is to take care of nature. How are we going to take care of it if we are not able to take care of ourselves and our collaborators?鈥澛�
鈥淭he society gives us all the possibility of 鈥榳alking the talk,鈥� not only for the sake of Mother Earth but also for the sake of taking care of each other,鈥� she said.