The Social Metabolism: A Socio-Ecological Theory of Historical Change (Environmental History, #3)

by Manuel Gonzalez de Molina and Victor M Toledo

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Book cover for The Social Metabolism

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Over this last decade, the concept of Social Metabolism has gained prestige as a theoretical instrument for the required analysis, to such an extent that there are now dozens of researchers, hundreds of articles and several books that have adopted and use this concept. However, there is a great deal of variety in terms of definitions and interpretations, as well as different methodologies around this concept, which prevents the consolidation of a unified field of new knowledge. The fundamental aim of the book is to conduct a review of the past and present usage of the concept of social metabolism, its origins and history, as well as the main currents or schools that exist around this concept. At the same time, the reviews and discussions included are used by the authors as starting points to draw conclusions and propose a theory of socio-ecological transformations.

The theoretical and methodological innovations of this book include a distinction of two types of metabolic processes: tangible and intangible; the analysis of the social metabolism at different scales (in space and time) and a theory of socio-ecological change overcoming the merely "systemic" or "cybernetic" nature of conventional approaches, giving special protagonism to collective action.

  • ISBN10 3319063596
  • ISBN13 9783319063591
  • Publish Date 31 July 2014
  • Publish Status Withdrawn
  • Out of Print 18 October 2014
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Springer
  • Format Paperback (US Trade)
  • Pages 380
  • Language English