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

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.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ecology and Society
Published
2025-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5751/es-16164-300232
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
8.34

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article

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

Marta Berbés‐Blázquez, Micaela Trimble, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Katja Malmborg et al.
2 citations
Ecology and Society
Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration
8.34
article

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

Marta Berbés‐Blázquez, Micaela Trimble, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Katja Malmborg, Maraja Riechers, Nancy B. Grimm, Graeme S. Cumming, Bruno Locatelli, Garry Peterson, Berta Martín‐López, Michael Schoon, Alta De Vos, Aleksandra Kosanic, Caroline Ann Wallington, Jennifer Hodbod, Kate Sherren, Allyson Quinlan, Kinga Psiuk, Lisen Schultz, Line Gordon, Marianne Falardeau, Elson Ian Nyl Ebreo Galang, Albert V. Norström, Rafael Cavalcanti Lembi, Fikret Berkes, Odirilwe Selomane, Stefan Gelcich, Reinette Biggs, Amanda Manyani, Stephen Carpenter, Anahí Ocampo‐Melgar, Francis Turkelboom, Morgan Mathisonslee, Julia Baird, Walter H. Fick, Rafael Calderón-Contreras, Erik Andersson, Cibele Queiroz, Elena M. Bennett, Marja Spierenburg, Larissa Koch, Antonio Castro, Craig Allen, Carl Folke, Jacqueline M. Hamilton
article en
2 citations

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.

Ecology and SocietyVol. 30(2)
McGill University, National Research Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration
8.34
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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