The Institute’s Research Areas:
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about the research area I staff members I Projects I DownloadsScientific methods and technical procedures are important preconditions for being able to perceive, analyze and prepare solutions for social-ecological problems. Science and technology, however, are not neutral tools for perceiving and working on problems; rather they are themselves a part of the problem. They can help produce social-ecological risks and dangers. Therefore, a consideration of how sciences and technologies come to be, how they function and the extent of their scope are all systematic components of the work of social-ecological research. At the same time, the institute has worked out, on a sound methodological basis, new kinds of inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to individual social-ecological fields of action . This, in fact, represents one of the institutes main forms of consulting. Over the last several years policy makers have made use of a series of analyses of the foundations of research and science policy produced by the institute. For example, since 1997 the Federal government has put these analyses to use in developing its own concepts of environmental and sustainability research. At the same time, there is a tendency among research policy makers to look for forms of attending research that makes use of procedures taken from science studies; for example, reflexive self-evaluation and the systematic integration of different forms of knowledge. The necessary competencies for such work are concentrated in a synergetic manner in the institute research area, Transdisciplinary Concepts and Methods. Following up on a research project on modeling and prognosis, preparatory work on building a task force to work on the topic of “Modeling in Complex, Dynamic Systems” will be completed by the end of the year. Cooperation with the J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main is being sought. Research Focal Points:
Researchers
Projects (Selection)
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