ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research has launched a new blog. Under the URL isoe.blog, ISOE researchers will from now on regularly write about sustainability issues and about results from their research practice. The ISOE blog “Social Ecology” is an invitation for discussion and aims to offer insight into the transdisciplinary research processes at ISOE. The blog also offers guest authors the opportunity to participate in debates on current crises and shaping approaches. From different perspectives, the first contributions are taking up questions that arise from the Corona crisis and set them in relation to social-ecological transformations.

In his blog post, mobility researcher Konrad Götz looks at the drastic change in traffic behavior as a result of the Corona pandemic. Götz is dealing with the question of what consequences this situation will have for the future use of transportation on the one hand and new forms of work (keyword "home office”) on the other. In her English-language blog post, biodiversity researcher Denise Matias addresses different effects the pandemic has globally on various population groups. She explains why it is important to look at social and ecological justice issues from a completely new angle.

With these introductory contributions, the ISOE blog opens a platform for the discussion of social-ecological issues that scientists deal with in their everyday research. Topics include water, energy, climate protection, mobility, urban spaces, biodiversity and social-ecological systems. With the blog “Social Ecology”, ISOE wants to provide insights into its own research work, but also wants to show what are the specifics and challenges involved. The combination of crisis, critique and shaping the crisis, the subtitle of the blog, characterizes Social Ecology.

How do societies regulate their relations with nature?

This comparatively young scientific field, which has been strongly influenced by ISOE, has in recent decades made important contributions to interdisciplinary sustainability research: Social Ecology allows us to specifically ask how societies regulate their relationships with nature and when there is a risk of them not developing in a sustainable way. The ISOE blog shows the broad spectrum of ideas, concepts and theses on social-ecological research and invites discussion. Contributions from guest authors are welcome. 

At the same time, the blog creates a different approach to this field of science. “Not only social ecology, but every science thrives on exchange, criticism and consensus-building,” says Nicola Schuldt-Baumgart, head of knowledge communication and public relations at ISOE. “Accordingly, the blog also thrives on interaction between scientists from different disciplines and research institutions. And it offers all readers the opportunity to participate in these scientific discussions and to comment on them.” 

To the blog Social Ecology. Crisis – Critique – Shaping

Scientific contact:

Dr. Nicola Schuldt-Baumgart
Tel. +49 69 707 6919-30
schuldt-baumgart(at)isoe.de 
www.isoe.de  

Press contact:

Melanie Neugart
Tel. +49 69 707 6919-51
neugart(at)isoe.de 
www.isoe.de