Discovering Social Ecology

Abstract

This chapter explains how I came to write the book. I recount personal experiences that stimulated my interest in social ecology over the course of my career and describe the major purpose of the book: to offer a new conception of social ecology that builds on and extends earlier analyses of social and human ecology. Social ecology is presented as an analytic framework organized around certain core principles (i.e., multidimensional structure of environments ; systems thinking ; multiscale contextual analysis of people–environment relationships ; transdisciplinary and translational research ) that can be used to understand and manage health, social, and environmental problems. Whereas previous conceptions of social ecology examine the joint influence of natural , built , and sociocultural environments on behavior and well-being, I introduce a fourth environmental realm, the cybersphere , which is intertwined with our natural, built, and sociocultural surroundings. I also describe how the book is organized: Chapters 1–3 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 address historical, conceptual, and methodological foundations of social ecology as a multidisciplinary field. Chapter 4 examines the rise of the Internet and its pervasive influence on human–environment interactions and global sustainability. Chapters 5–8 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 apply core principles of social ecology to the analysis of contemporary health, social, and environmental problems. Chapter 9 considers strategies for educating the next generation of social ecologists. Chapter 10 recaps major themes covered in the book and explores emerging directions of social ecological research and community practice.