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

Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

Authors

  • Alta de Vos
  • Allyson Quinlan
  • Reinette Biggs
  • Elena M. Bennett
  • Albert V. Norström
  • Garry D. Peterson
  • Michael Schoon
  • Craig R. Allen
  • Erik Andersson
  • Julia Baird
  • Marta Berbés-Blázquez
  • Fikret Berkes
  • Rafael Calderon-Contreras
  • Stephen R. Carpenter
  • Antonio J. Castro
  • Graeme S. Cumming
  • Marianne Falardeau
  • W. Liebrecht Fick
  • Carl Folke
  • Elson Ian Nyl E. Galang
  • Stefan Gelcich
  • Line J. Gordon
  • Nancy B. Grimm
  • Jacqueline Hamilton
  • Jennifer Hodbod
  • Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
  • Larissa Koch
  • Aleksandra Kosanic
  • Rafael Lembi
  • Bruno Locatelli
  • Katja Malmborg
  • Amanda Manyani
  • Morgan Mathisonslee
  • Anahi Ocampo-Melgar
  • Kinga Psiuk
  • Cibele Queiroz
  • Lisen Schultz
  • Odirilwe Selomane
  • Kate Sherren
  • Marja Spierenburg
  • Micaela Trimble
  • Francis Turkelboom
  • Caroline Wallington

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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number32
JournalEcology and Society
Volume30
Issue number2
ISSN1708-3087
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 06.2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 by the author(s).

    Research areas

  • communities of practice, institutionalization of SES research, knowledge co-evolution, research networks, social-ecological systems research, transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Biology
  • Ecosystems Research

DOI

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