This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Social Ecology. State of the Art and Future Prospects" that was published in Sustainability

Social Ecology in the Digital Age: Solving Complex Problems in a Globalized World provides a comprehensive overview of social ecological theory, research, and practice. Written by renowned expert Daniel Stokols, the book distills key principles from diverse strands of ecological science, offering a robust framework for transdisciplinary research and societal problem-solving. The existential challenges of the 21st Century - global climate change and climate-change denial, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, disease pandemics, inter-ethnic violence and the threat of nuclear war, cybercrime, the Digital Divide, and extreme poverty and income inequality confronting billions each day - cannot be understood and managed adequately from narrow disciplinary or political perspectives. Social Ecology in the Digital Age is grounded in scientific research but written in a personal and informal style from the vantage point of a former student, current teacher and scholar who has contributed over four decades to the field of social ecology. The book will be of interest to scholars, students, educators, government leaders and community practitioners working in several fields including social and human ecology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminology, law, education, biology, medicine, public health, earth system and sustainability science, geography, environmental design, urban planning, informatics, public policy and global governance. Winner of the 2018 Gerald L. Young Book Award from The Society for Human Ecology"Exemplifying the highest standards of scholarly work in the field of human ecology." https://societyforhumanecology.org/human-ecology-homepage/awards/gerald-l-young-book-award-in-human-ecology/ - The book traces historical origins and conceptual foundations of biological, human, and social ecology - Offers a new conceptual framework that brings together earlier approaches to social ecology and extends them in novel directions - Highlights the interrelations between four distinct but closely intertwined spheres of human environments: our natural, built, sociocultural, and virtual (cyber-based) surroundings - Spans local to global scales and individual, organizational, community, regional, and global levels of analysis - Applies core principles of social ecology to identify multi-level strategies for promoting personal and public health, resolving complex social problems, managing global environmental change, and creating resilient and sustainable communities - Underscores social ecology's vital importance for understanding and managing the environmental and political upheavals of the 21st Century - Highlights descriptive, analytic, and transformative (or moral) concerns of social ecology - Presents strategies for educating the next generation of social ecologists emphasizing transdisciplinary, team-based, translational, and transcultural approaches

This book presents the current state of the art in Social Ecology as practiced by the Vienna School of Social Ecology, globally one of the main research groups in this field. As a significant contribution to the growing literature on interdisciplinary sustainability studies, the book introduces the purpose and nature of Social Ecology and then places the “Vienna School” within the broader context of socioecological and other interdisciplinary environmental approaches. The conceptual and methodological foundations of Social Ecology are discussed in detail, allowing the reader to obtain a broad overview of current socioecological thinking. Issues covered include socio-metabolic transitions, socioecological approaches to land use, the relation between actor-centered and system approaches, a socioecological theory of labor and the importance of legacies, as conceived in Environmental History and in Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research. To underpin this overview empirically, the strengths of socioecological research are elucidated in cases of cutting-edge research, introducing a variety of themes the Vienna School has been tackling empirically over the past years. Given how the field is presented – reflecting research carried out on different scales, reaching from local to global as well as from past to present and future – and due to the way the book is structured, it is suitable for classroom use, as a primer, and also as an overview of how Social Ecology evolved, right up to its current research frontiers.

In this comprehensive Handbook, scholars from across the globe explore the relationships between workers and nature in the context of the environmental crises. They provide an invaluable overview of a fast-growing research field that bridges the social and natural sciences. Chapters provide detailed perspectives of environmental labour studies, environmental struggles of workers, indigenous peoples, farmers and commoners in the Global South and North. The relations within and between organisations that hinder or promote environmental strategies are analysed, including the relations between workers and environmental organisations, NGOs, feminist and community movements.

The research project CuveWaters developed and implemented adapted technologies and accompanying measures to support the national process towards an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The aim is to give people in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin reliable access to clean water over the long term, thus enhancing their livelihood and health, and to create job opportunities. IWRM relies on solutions that use various sources, types and qualities of water for different purposes. CuveWaters implemented pilot plants for rain- and floodwater harvesting, groundwater desalination, as well as facilities for sanitation and water reuse. Technical components of the project were framed by societal and scientific components. Integrated Water Resources Management in Water-scarce Regions provides a comprehensive view on the complexity and interconnectedness of findings and conclusions regarding the principle strategic approach within the CuveWaters project’s concept. The book aims to present the work of technical, social and natural scientists but also of media professionals: It gives thematically focussed details on the three technology-based solutions which go beyond mere technical considerations and embed this into the overarching process towards IWRM in Namibia. Finally, it critically addresses lessons learnt and limits of projects in the context of research for implementation. This book is of great value to experts, professionals and also students and academics in the areas of water management, technology development and implementation and transdisciplinary science.

In this book and companion custom website you will find: • A comprehensive overview of the issues related to human behavior and the social environment that are important to understand for practice, updated with current and relevant information on important topics in social work. Additional relevant content, contemporary theories, and intervention modalities are incorporated throughout the text to keep students up to date with what is happening in the field. • Careful organization of chapters to first present foundational theoretical perspectives on the human condition, and then provide information on basic facets of human development, encouraging students to use conceptual lenses to inform their practice with individuals at different stages of life. Four final chapters cover theoretical foundations and issues surrounding spirituality, families and groups, organizations, and communities. These chapters offer in-depth information and discussions on mezzo and macro content. The organization of the chapters also helps students better understand how contemporary theories and approaches to issues stem from foundational theories and how they can be used to inform work with clients. • Particular emphasis on the ways in which poverty, diversity, and strengths affect human development and behavior. • The opportunity to see how the concepts fit into social work practice using case examples that open each chapter and are referred to throughout the chapter. • Interactive case studies at www.routledgesw.com/cases: Six easy-to-access fictional cases with dynamic characters and situations that students can easily reach from any computer and that provide a “learning by doing” format unavailable with any other text. Your students will have an advantage unlike any other they will experience in their social work training. • A wealth of instructor-only resources at www.routledgesw.com/hbse that provide full-text readings that link to the concepts presented in each of the chapters; a complete bank of objective and essay-type test items, all linked to current CSWE EPAS (Council on Social Work Education Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards); PowerPoint presentations to help students master key concepts; annotated links to a treasure trove of social work assets on the Internet; and a forum inviting all instructors using books in the series to communicate with each other and share ideas to improve teaching and learning. • Ideal for use in online as well as hybrid course instruction—in addition to traditional “bricks and mortar” classes. This bestseller is ideal for use in either one-semester or year-long generalist human behavior courses. Why? Because the text is concise and easily used in a one-semester course. But the text also comes with a companion set of readings, additional chapters focused on macro social work, and six unique cases that encourage your students to “learn by doing” and to apply their knowledge of human behavior to best practices. Go to www.routledgesw.com/hbse to learn more. These additional resources easily allow you to use the text (and its related resources) in a two-semester sequence.

This bestseller is ideal for use in either one-semester or year-long generalist human behavior courses. Why? Because the text is concise and easily used in a one-semester course. But the text also comes with a companion set of readings and five unique cases that encourage your students to "learn by doing" and to apply their knowledge of human behavior to best practices. Go to www.routledgesw.com/hbse to learn more. These additional resources easily allow you to use the text (and its related resources) in a two-semester sequence.