TY - JOUR

T1 - Welcome home! Introducing SocSES: a society for inclusive and impactful social-ecological research

AU - de Vos, Alta

AU - Quinlan, Allyson

AU - Biggs, Reinette

AU - Bennett, Elena M.

AU - Martín-López, Berta

AU - Norström, Albert V.

AU - Peterson, Garry D.

AU - Schoon, Michael

AU - Allen, Craig R.

AU - Andersson, Erik

AU - Baird, Julia

AU - Berbés-Blázquez, Marta

AU - Berkes, Fikret

AU - Calderon-Contreras, Rafael

AU - Carpenter, Stephen R.

AU - Castro, Antonio J.

AU - Cumming, Graeme S.

AU - Falardeau, Marianne

AU - Fick, W. Liebrecht

AU - Folke, Carl

AU - Galang, Elson Ian Nyl E.

AU - Gelcich, Stefan

AU - Gordon, Line J.

AU - Grimm, Nancy B.

AU - Hamilton, Jacqueline

AU - Hodbod, Jennifer

AU - Ifejika Speranza, Chinwe

AU - Koch, Larissa

AU - Kosanic, Aleksandra

AU - Lembi, Rafael

AU - Locatelli, Bruno

AU - Malmborg, Katja

AU - Manyani, Amanda

AU - Mathisonslee, Morgan

AU - Ocampo-Melgar, Anahi

AU - Psiuk, Kinga

AU - Queiroz, Cibele

AU - Riechers, Maraja

AU - Schultz, Lisen

AU - Selomane, Odirilwe

AU - Sherren, Kate

AU - Spierenburg, Marja

AU - Trimble, Micaela

AU - Turkelboom, Francis

AU - Wallington, Caroline

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - social-ecological systems research, knowledge co-evolution, institutionalization of SES research, research networks, communities of practice, transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration

U2 - 10.5751/ES-16164-300232

DO - 10.5751/ES-16164-300232

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 30

JO - Ecology and Society

JF - Ecology and Society

SN - 1708-3087

IS - 2

ER -