Structuring Sustainability Science
(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:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1693689
- author
- 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
; Lövbrand, Eva
LU
and Persson, Johannes
LU
(Less) - organization
-
- LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
- Department of Sociology of Law
- Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
- Human Ecology
- Department of Political Science
- Theoretical Philosophy
- LUCID - Lund University Centre of Excellence for Integration of Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability-lup-obsolete (research group)
- BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
- publishing date
- 2011
- 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}},
}