Welcome home! Introducing SocSES: a society for inclusive and impactful social-ecological research

Bibtex

@misc{25606ada-73db-4a51-82aa-ffd879c243dd,
title = "Welcome home! Introducing SocSES: a society for inclusive and impactful social-ecological research",
abstract = "Underpinned by systemic thinking, social-ecological systems (SES) research has emerged as a critical field for addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene, marked by a cross-scale focus, inter-and transdisciplinary approaches, and a strong emphasis on place-based work. Thanks to the efforts of many networks and institutes, the field has advanced new theoretical and methodological approaches, fostered dedicated journals, and spurred educational programs. It has also significantly influenced sustainability initiatives and policy from local to global scales, and has richly informed place-based efforts. Despite this progress, SES research faces persistent challenges, including conceptual and methodological fragmentation, difficulty in scaling localized insights to global frameworks (and vice versa), and capturing cross-scale connections and processes while retaining contextual relevance. Inclusivity also remains a critical issue, with regional, Indigenous, and local contributions often underrepresented, as there is still a reliance on short-term, inequitably distributed grant funding for much of the research in the field. This paper introduces the Society for Social-Ecological Systems (SocSES), a global platform designed to build on and connect to the rich legacy of SES networks. SocSES aims to advance and support SES-based research, practice, and action toward a just and sustainable future. We outline how SocSES will provide a home for SES institutes, networks, researchers, and practitioners working at the science-practice-policy interface to connect and amplify existing efforts through thematic streams, regional hubs, an institutional hub, an early-career professionals hub, and synthesis groups. The society will provide a stable infrastructure to foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, enhance the generalizability and policy relevance of SES research, bolster education, research, and knowledge co-production, and support the next generation of SES professionals. By addressing the persistent challenges facing the field and fostering transformative spaces and communities for innovation and action, SocSES aspires to support and leverage SES knowledge as a cornerstone of global sustainability science. In line with the society's commitment to linguistic diversity and equitable access, this abstract has been translated into 12 languages by authors of this paper and additional contributors. These translations are available in Appendix 2 and at https://socses.org/about/paper.",
author = "Alta De Vos and Allyson Quinlan and Reinette Biggs and Elena M. Bennett and Berta Martin-Lopez and Albert Norstrom V and Garry D. Peterson and Michael Schoon and Craig R. Allen and Erik Andersson and Julia Baird and Patricia Balvanera and Marta Berbes-Blazquez and Fikret Berkes and Rafael Calderon-Contreras and Stephen R. Carpenter and Antonio J. Castro and Graeme S. Cumming and Marianne Falardeau and W. Liebrecht Fick and Carl Olke and Elson Ian Nyl E. Galang and Stefan Gelcich and Line J. Gordon and Nancy B. Grimm and Jacqueline Hamilton and Jennifer Hodbod and Chinwe If ejika Speranza and Larissa Koch and Aleksandra Kosanic and Rafael Lembi and Bruno Locatelli and Katja Malmborg and Amanda Manyani and Morgan Mathisonslee and Anahi Ocampo-Melgar and Kinga Psiuk and Cibele Queiroz and Maraja Riechers and Lisen Schultz and Odirilwe Selomane and Kate Sherren and Marja Spierenburg and Micaela Trimble and Francis Turkelboom and Caroline Wallington",
year = "2025",
month = jun,
day = "01",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-16164-300232",
language = "Nederlands",
publisher = "The Resilience Alliance",
address = "België,
type = "Other"
}

Auteurs

Alta De Vos
Allyson Quinlan
Reinette Biggs
Elena M. Bennett
Berta Martin-Lopez
Albert Norstrom V
Garry D. Peterson
Michael Schoon
Craig R. Allen
Erik Andersson
Julia Baird
Patricia Balvanera
Marta Berbes-Blazquez
Fikret Berkes
Rafael Calderon-Contreras
Stephen R. Carpenter
Antonio J. Castro
Graeme S. Cumming
Marianne Falardeau
W. Liebrecht Fick
Carl Olke
Elson Ian Nyl E. Galang
Stefan Gelcich
Line J. Gordon
Nancy B. Grimm
Jacqueline Hamilton
Jennifer Hodbod
Chinwe If ejika Speranza
Larissa Koch
Aleksandra Kosanic
Rafael Lembi
Bruno Locatelli
Katja Malmborg
Amanda Manyani
Morgan Mathisonslee
Anahi Ocampo-Melgar
Kinga Psiuk
Cibele Queiroz
Maraja Riechers
Lisen Schultz
Odirilwe Selomane
Kate Sherren
Marja Spierenburg
Micaela Trimble
Francis Turkelboom
Caroline Wallington