Studying Power with the Social-Ecological System Framework

Abstract

A long-standing divide exists among social scientists regarding power and its effects on the sustainability of social-ecological systems (SESs). In some disciplines, such as political ecology, power is a central focus, and seen as having a significant impact on social-ecological processes and outcomes. In contrast, commons theory, a new institutionalist strand of research on environmental governance, deliberately sidelines power to focus on the relationship between institutions and sustainability. Historically, there has been little constructive interaction between power-centered and institution-centered approaches. Therefore, we apply the SES framework, a tool explicitly designed to confront interdisciplinary puzzles, to ask whether it can be used to bridge the gap between these two traditions of social-ecological research. The chapter outlines a systematic approach for integrating diverse conceptualizations of power with the SES framework and then applies this approach to study the relationship between power and social-ecological outcomes. The analysis suggests that the SES framework is a promising tool for social science integration, but also that important questions remain concerning the validity of classifications, measurement, and statistical tests. We conclude with a call for greater interdisciplinary attention to questions of power with the SES framework to better understand its normative and positive implications for sustainable and equitable governance of SESs.