Socialekologiska

Socialekologiska is an adjective used in Swedish to describe approaches, analyses, or phenomena that arise from the interaction between social systems and ecological systems. It is closely linked to the concept of social-ecological systems, and is common in discussions of sustainability science, natural resource governance, and environmental policy. The central idea is that humans and ecosystems are interdependent: social practices, institutions, and economies shape ecological conditions, while biophysical processes constrain and enable social choices.

Key concepts include resilience, adaptability, and transformability of social-ecological systems; ecosystem services; governance and institutions; co-management and participatory decision making; and adaptive management. The perspective uses cross-disciplinary methods from ecology, sociology, economics, political science, and geography to study feedbacks, thresholds, and the resilience of coupled human-environment systems.

Origins of the term in Swedish scholarship are tied to the broader international field of social-ecological systems thinking, popularized by researchers such as C.S. Holling and Elinor Ostrom. In Sweden and other Nordic contexts, socialekologiska approaches are applied to climate adaptation, resource management, urban planning, and sustainability policy, with emphasis on integrating ecological knowledge with social equity and governance.

Applications span fisheries, forestry, water resources, land-use planning, and urban resilience. Critics note challenges related to complexity, scale, and operationalization, and stress the need for clear definitions and robust empirical studies. Overall, socialekologiska perspectives invite holistic analysis that recognizes interdependencies between people and ecosystems in pursuing sustainable outcomes.