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Critical sustainability science : advancing sustainability transformations

Longo, Stefano B. LU ; Isgren, Ellinor LU and Carolan, Michael (2025) In Sustainability Science 20(5). p.1903-1917
Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present a critical sustainability science research program, which is founded on two critical theoretical/philosophical traditions: critical realism and historical materialism. We elaborate these traditions to clarify what they can analytically offer to socioecological analyses in sustainability science and emphasize their prospective contributions to sustainability transitions and transformations. A critical sustainability science research program can facilitate bridging the natural and social sciences, provide crucial insights into social conditions and processes that drive ongoing and concerning environmental changes, identify—often underexplored—socioecological conditions for sustainability... (More)

The objective of this paper is to present a critical sustainability science research program, which is founded on two critical theoretical/philosophical traditions: critical realism and historical materialism. We elaborate these traditions to clarify what they can analytically offer to socioecological analyses in sustainability science and emphasize their prospective contributions to sustainability transitions and transformations. A critical sustainability science research program can facilitate bridging the natural and social sciences, provide crucial insights into social conditions and processes that drive ongoing and concerning environmental changes, identify—often underexplored—socioecological conditions for sustainability transitions/transformations, and reveal structural process that can advance or impede them. The critical sustainability science approach offers an alternative to both mainstream and (critical) idealist/culturalist approaches in sustainability research.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Critical realism, Historical materialism, Methodology, Socioecological theory, Transformations, Transitions
in
Sustainability Science
volume
20
issue
5
pages
1903 - 1917
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:105000464984
ISSN
1862-4065
DOI
10.1007/s11625-025-01667-x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
084060e9-7a41-44bc-9afa-2c196ffa2594
date added to LUP
2025-09-15 12:13:16
date last changed
2025-10-14 09:04:02
@article{084060e9-7a41-44bc-9afa-2c196ffa2594,
  abstract     = {{<p>The objective of this paper is to present a critical sustainability science research program, which is founded on two critical theoretical/philosophical traditions: critical realism and historical materialism. We elaborate these traditions to clarify what they can analytically offer to socioecological analyses in sustainability science and emphasize their prospective contributions to sustainability transitions and transformations. A critical sustainability science research program can facilitate bridging the natural and social sciences, provide crucial insights into social conditions and processes that drive ongoing and concerning environmental changes, identify—often underexplored—socioecological conditions for sustainability transitions/transformations, and reveal structural process that can advance or impede them. The critical sustainability science approach offers an alternative to both mainstream and (critical) idealist/culturalist approaches in sustainability research.</p>}},
  author       = {{Longo, Stefano B. and Isgren, Ellinor and Carolan, Michael}},
  issn         = {{1862-4065}},
  keywords     = {{Critical realism; Historical materialism; Methodology; Socioecological theory; Transformations; Transitions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{1903--1917}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Critical sustainability science : advancing sustainability transformations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11625-025-01667-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11625-025-01667-x}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}