The HES framework

Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

Authors

Chapter overview Chapter overview In the spirit of cultivating environmental literacy we present the human-environment systems (HES) framework as a practical way to cope with the complexity of human-environment relationships. Its design and our suggestions for its use assume that most environmental problems are caused largely by human activities, a view that could be called the anthropocenic redefinition of the environment. Our unveiling of the HES framework describes how it is a structure-process template or methodological guide for research about HES. The HES framework highlights how the HES Postulates offer principles that foster a comprehensive analysis of HES. Next we describe how the HES framework offers principles for environmental research and transdisciplinary processes. After an initial phase of formulating a guiding question and defining system boundaries, a first step is to conduct an analysis of the environmental situation (as stated by the Environment-first Postulate P7), which is a typical subject of transdisciplinary processes.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEnvironmental Literacy in Science and Society : From Knowledge to Decisions
EditorsRoland W. Scholz
Number of pages10
Place of PublicationCambridge
PublisherCambridge University Press
Publication date01.01.2011
Pages453-462
ISBN (print)978-0-521-19271-2
ISBN (electronic)9780511921520
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.01.2011
Externally publishedYes