Projekt: Sustainability as a Concept of the Social Sciences - Policy Paper |
Deklaration "Für ein verbessertes (sozial-)wissenschaftliches Verständnis von Nachhaltigkeit"
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Becker, E./Th. Jahn/I. Stieß/P. Wehling (1997): Sustainability: A Cross-Disciplinary Concept for Social Transformations. Policy Paper 6. UNESCO, ISOE. Paris:Any attempt to explain and define the concept of sustainability scientififally, relates to three closely-linked dimensions, each defining a different context: a strategic or political dimenison, a normative one and an analytical one. In view of this situation, there is a need for innovative indicators that allow an assessment of complex relationships and explore the institutional and political context within which sustainability measurements shuold take place. When introducing the issue of agency into the indicator discussion, the needs and experineces of different sets of actors in different regions of the world are to be taken into account. Redefining the links between scientists, governmental organisations, NGOs and other non-scientific actors also implies a redefinition of the social sicentific community within civiel society and the status of the scientific expert witness as an authoritative source. The re-orientation of the social sciences towards sustainability must provide conceptual frameworks for transdisciplinary research that, first, involves both material and symbolic dimensions and focusses on the links between them; and second, allows for a differentiated position towards the natural sicentific description of environmental problems. The conceptual framework proposed in this study will thus open a wide range of criticism of scientific models (from the natural as well as the social sciences) by analysing their modes of social construction. Download: download 3,1 MB pdf-file |
Stand 11.07.2007 |