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Structuring Sustainability Science

Jerneck, Anne LU ; Olsson, Lennart LU ; Ness, Barry LU ; Anderberg, Stefan LU ; Baier, Matthias LU ; Clark, Eric LU ; Hickler, Thomas LU ; Hornborg, Alf LU ; Kronsell, Annica LU and Lövbrand, Eva LU , et al. (2011) In Sustainability Science 6(1). p.69-82
Abstract
It is urgent in science and society to address

climate change and other sustainability challenges such as

biodiversity loss, deforestation, depletion of marine fish

stocks, global ill-health, land degradation, land use change

and water scarcity. Sustainability science (SS) is an attempt

to bridge the natural and social sciences for seeking creative

solutions to these complex challenges. In this article,

we propose a research agenda that advances the

methodological and theoretical understanding of what SS

can be, how it can be pursued and what it can contribute.

The key focus is on knowledge structuring. For that purpose,

we designed a generic... (More)
It is urgent in science and society to address

climate change and other sustainability challenges such as

biodiversity loss, deforestation, depletion of marine fish

stocks, global ill-health, land degradation, land use change

and water scarcity. Sustainability science (SS) is an attempt

to bridge the natural and social sciences for seeking creative

solutions to these complex challenges. In this article,

we propose a research agenda that advances the

methodological and theoretical understanding of what SS

can be, how it can be pursued and what it can contribute.

The key focus is on knowledge structuring. For that purpose,

we designed a generic research platform organised as

a three-dimensional matrix comprising three components:

core themes (scientific understanding, sustainability goals,

sustainability pathways); cross-cutting critical and problem-

solving approaches; and any combination of the sustainability

challenges above. As an example, we insert four

sustainability challenges into the matrix (biodiversity loss,

climate change, land use changes, water scarcity). Based on

the matrix with the four challenges, we discuss three issues

for advancing theory and methodology in SS: how new

synergies across natural and social sciences can be created;

how integrated theories for understanding and responding

to complex sustainability issues can be developed; and how

theories and concepts in economics, gender studies, geography,

political science and sociology can be applied in SS.

The generic research platform serves to structure and create

new knowledge in SS and is a tool for exploring any set of

sustainability challenges. The combined critical and problem-

solving approach is essential. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Transdisciplinarity, Critical research, Sustainability pathways, Problem-solving research, Sustainability challenges, Climate change
in
Sustainability Science
volume
6
issue
1
pages
69 - 82
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000292041500008
  • scopus:78651305539
ISSN
1862-4057
DOI
10.1007/s11625-010-0117-x
project
LUCID - Lund University Centre of Excellence for Integration of Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science (011010000), Department of Political Science (012015000), Theoretical Philosophy (015001002), Human Ecology (012006010), LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies) (016508030), Department of Human Geography (LUR000049), Sociology of Law (012011000)
id
753d1ad9-4067-40db-9a4c-ee4571f1d6bb (old id 1693689)
alternative location
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11625-010-0117-x
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:40:16
date last changed
2022-12-10 01:25:20
@article{753d1ad9-4067-40db-9a4c-ee4571f1d6bb,
  abstract     = {{It is urgent in science and society to address<br/><br>
climate change and other sustainability challenges such as<br/><br>
biodiversity loss, deforestation, depletion of marine fish<br/><br>
stocks, global ill-health, land degradation, land use change<br/><br>
and water scarcity. Sustainability science (SS) is an attempt<br/><br>
to bridge the natural and social sciences for seeking creative<br/><br>
solutions to these complex challenges. In this article,<br/><br>
we propose a research agenda that advances the<br/><br>
methodological and theoretical understanding of what SS<br/><br>
can be, how it can be pursued and what it can contribute.<br/><br>
The key focus is on knowledge structuring. For that purpose,<br/><br>
we designed a generic research platform organised as<br/><br>
a three-dimensional matrix comprising three components:<br/><br>
core themes (scientific understanding, sustainability goals,<br/><br>
sustainability pathways); cross-cutting critical and problem-<br/><br>
solving approaches; and any combination of the sustainability<br/><br>
challenges above. As an example, we insert four<br/><br>
sustainability challenges into the matrix (biodiversity loss,<br/><br>
climate change, land use changes, water scarcity). Based on<br/><br>
the matrix with the four challenges, we discuss three issues<br/><br>
for advancing theory and methodology in SS: how new<br/><br>
synergies across natural and social sciences can be created;<br/><br>
how integrated theories for understanding and responding<br/><br>
to complex sustainability issues can be developed; and how<br/><br>
theories and concepts in economics, gender studies, geography,<br/><br>
political science and sociology can be applied in SS.<br/><br>
The generic research platform serves to structure and create<br/><br>
new knowledge in SS and is a tool for exploring any set of<br/><br>
sustainability challenges. The combined critical and problem-<br/><br>
solving approach is essential.}},
  author       = {{Jerneck, Anne and Olsson, Lennart and Ness, Barry and Anderberg, Stefan and Baier, Matthias and Clark, Eric and Hickler, Thomas and Hornborg, Alf and Kronsell, Annica and Lövbrand, Eva and Persson, Johannes}},
  issn         = {{1862-4057}},
  keywords     = {{Transdisciplinarity; Critical research; Sustainability pathways; Problem-solving research; Sustainability challenges; Climate change}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{69--82}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Structuring Sustainability Science}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11625-010-0117-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11625-010-0117-x}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}