28.8 References
and their interpretation. Researchers explicitly address these in their conceptual frameworks, research design, analytical categories and methods,
and interpretation of results. The complexity of
conceptual frameworks and the plurality of research methods applied by the social sciences reflect these issues.
While the questions addressed, data collected,
and analytical methods and models are different
from those of the biophysical sciences, there are
obvious common concepts that both groups contend with in their scientific endeavors. These include the following:
• Driving forces: the objective of identifying and
assessing the relative importance of fundamental
driving forces of environmental change
• Scale: individual versus population as the unit of
analysis, the ecological fallacy, and the drawing
of inferences from one scale to another
• Time: the notion that different, yet interacting
processes operate at different time scales, nonlinearity, and uncertainty
• Space: the concept of spatial autocorrelation, the
issue of the representativeness of case studies
• Complexity: the complexities implied by issues
of scale, time, and space and by the interaction
between driving forces
• Conceptual frameworks: the search for conceptual frameworks that effectively incorporate the
complexity of socioenvironmental issues
• Research methods: methods that enable the complexity to be addressed; this includes the design
of appropriate sampling procedures and defining
relevant temporal and spatial contexts for the
analysis
Such common concepts provide a basis for dialogue to devise scientific approaches that can integrate the social and biophysical sciences in the
search for more effective conceptual frameworks
and analytical approaches. Both social and biophysical scientists are concerned to understand,
model, and attempt to predict patterns of interaction between society and environment. Each group
of scientists has developed its own suite of conceptual and analytical approaches, and each group
increasingly recognizes the importance of the insights of the other. Landscape ecology and political ecology are two contemporary frameworks that
illustrate the mutual interest in the societal and the
biophysical.
The dialogue between social and biophysical sci433
entists has in the past been constrained by a variety of concerns about the scientific validity of their
respective approaches, including epistemology,
positivism versus more pluralistic approaches, and
methodology (quantitative versus qualitative analysis). Increasingly, such divisive concerns are seen
by both groups of scientists as inhibiting rather than
promoting understanding of issues that cut across
the social and biophysical. There is widespread
recognition that collaborative research can be developed around themes and concepts of common
interest and that perspectives specific to each can
bring additional scientific insights. Fundamental to
the success of such collaboration is that we engage
in a respectful dialogue that appreciates both what
are of common interest and of more specific importance to particular scientific domains.
28.8 References
Blailde, P. M. 1985. The political economy of soil erosion in developing countries. London and New York:
Longman.
Blaikie, P. M. 1994. Political ecology in the 1990s: an
evolving view of nature and society. East Lansing, MI:
Center for Advanced Study of International Development, Michigan State University.
Blaikie, P. M.; Brookfield, H. 1987. Land degradation
and society. London: Methuen.
Blalock, H. M. 1982. Conceptualization and measurement in the social sciences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
Publications.
Boserup, E. 1965. The conditions of agricultural growth;
the economics of agrarian change under population
pressure. London: Allen & Unwin.
Boserup, E. 1981. Population and technological change:
a study of long-term trends. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press.
Brink, A. P. 1982. A chain of voices. New York: Morrow.
Bromley, D. W. 1992. Making the commons work: theory, practice and policy. San Francisco: International
Center for Self-Governance.
Brown, D. G.; Olson, J. M; Campbell, D. J.; Berry, L.
1996. A hierarchical approach to the integration of
social and physical data sets: the case of the Rwanda
Society-Environment project. Human Dimensions
Quart. 1(4):14-17.
Bruce, J. W.; Migot-Adholla, S. E., editors. 1994.
Searching for land tenure security in Africa. Dubuque,
IA: KendallfHunt.
Caldwell, J. c., editor. 1975. Population growth and socio-economic change in West Africa. New York: Columbia University Press.
Campbell, D. J. 1996. Implications of scale for the design and application of environmental information
systems. Consultant Final Report, August 17, 1996.
and their interpretation. Researchers explicitly address these in their conceptual frameworks, research design, analytical categories and methods,
and interpretation of results. The complexity of
conceptual frameworks and the plurality of research methods applied by the social sciences reflect these issues.
While the questions addressed, data collected,
and analytical methods and models are different
from those of the biophysical sciences, there are
obvious common concepts that both groups contend with in their scientific endeavors. These include the following:
• Driving forces: the objective of identifying and
assessing the relative importance of fundamental
driving forces of environmental change
• Scale: individual versus population as the unit of
analysis, the ecological fallacy, and the drawing
of inferences from one scale to another
• Time: the notion that different, yet interacting
processes operate at different time scales, nonlinearity, and uncertainty
• Space: the concept of spatial autocorrelation, the
issue of the representativeness of case studies
• Complexity: the complexities implied by issues
of scale, time, and space and by the interaction
between driving forces
• Conceptual frameworks: the search for conceptual frameworks that effectively incorporate the
complexity of socioenvironmental issues
• Research methods: methods that enable the complexity to be addressed; this includes the design
of appropriate sampling procedures and defining
relevant temporal and spatial contexts for the
analysis
Such common concepts provide a basis for dialogue to devise scientific approaches that can integrate the social and biophysical sciences in the
search for more effective conceptual frameworks
and analytical approaches. Both social and biophysical scientists are concerned to understand,
model, and attempt to predict patterns of interaction between society and environment. Each group
of scientists has developed its own suite of conceptual and analytical approaches, and each group
increasingly recognizes the importance of the insights of the other. Landscape ecology and political ecology are two contemporary frameworks that
illustrate the mutual interest in the societal and the
biophysical.
The dialogue between social and biophysical sci433
entists has in the past been constrained by a variety of concerns about the scientific validity of their
respective approaches, including epistemology,
positivism versus more pluralistic approaches, and
methodology (quantitative versus qualitative analysis). Increasingly, such divisive concerns are seen
by both groups of scientists as inhibiting rather than
promoting understanding of issues that cut across
the social and biophysical. There is widespread
recognition that collaborative research can be developed around themes and concepts of common
interest and that perspectives specific to each can
bring additional scientific insights. Fundamental to
the success of such collaboration is that we engage
in a respectful dialogue that appreciates both what
are of common interest and of more specific importance to particular scientific domains.
28.8 References
Blailde, P. M. 1985. The political economy of soil erosion in developing countries. London and New York:
Longman.
Blaikie, P. M. 1994. Political ecology in the 1990s: an
evolving view of nature and society. East Lansing, MI:
Center for Advanced Study of International Development, Michigan State University.
Blaikie, P. M.; Brookfield, H. 1987. Land degradation
and society. London: Methuen.
Blalock, H. M. 1982. Conceptualization and measurement in the social sciences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
Publications.
Boserup, E. 1965. The conditions of agricultural growth;
the economics of agrarian change under population
pressure. London: Allen & Unwin.
Boserup, E. 1981. Population and technological change:
a study of long-term trends. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press.
Brink, A. P. 1982. A chain of voices. New York: Morrow.
Bromley, D. W. 1992. Making the commons work: theory, practice and policy. San Francisco: International
Center for Self-Governance.
Brown, D. G.; Olson, J. M; Campbell, D. J.; Berry, L.
1996. A hierarchical approach to the integration of
social and physical data sets: the case of the Rwanda
Society-Environment project. Human Dimensions
Quart. 1(4):14-17.
Bruce, J. W.; Migot-Adholla, S. E., editors. 1994.
Searching for land tenure security in Africa. Dubuque,
IA: KendallfHunt.
Caldwell, J. c., editor. 1975. Population growth and socio-economic change in West Africa. New York: Columbia University Press.
Campbell, D. J. 1996. Implications of scale for the design and application of environmental information
systems. Consultant Final Report, August 17, 1996.