Social ecology, sustainability, and economics

What mode of analysis might be employed, that captures the confluent action of material and social systems acting together? The framework of Social Ecology, which first emerged as a rejoinder to the Chicago School of Human Ecology of the early 1900s, evolved over subsequent decades as an attempt at such integration. We revisit social ecology's historical origins and foundational assumptions. We propose that the social ecological framework can offer useful conceptual grounding to scholars of ecological economics. We illustrate how this analytical lens affords a deeper understanding of unsustainable systems and valuation problems.

► Conceptual problems with valuation, especially with regard to integrating social and ecological dimensions, are reviewed. ► Differing lenses (social ecology, human ecology, bio-economics, integral ecology, institutional analysis & design) are compared. ► The social ecological framework is used to portray recent real estate market crises as problems of ecological sustainability.