Environmental Social Science
Environmental social science (ESS) is the (systematic) study of the interrelationship between three dynamic components:
People – their actions, thoughts and experiences as individuals, householders, employees, decision-makers, consumers, citizens, etc.
The social environment – including existing social norms, values, cultures, institutions, political systems, social processes, human-made structures (roads and buildings) and technologies.
The natural (non-human) environment – including natural resources (e.g., energy, water), climate, biodiversity, environmental processes and problems (e.g., air pollution, floods, droughts).
NEW PAPER
Defining environmental social sciences for interdisciplinary research, policy and practice
This new paper in the journal Environmental Science and Policy explores what exactly environmental social science (ESS) is and why defining ESS is so important.
It was led by Birgitta Gatersleben (ACCESS Co-Director, University of Surrey) and coauthored by a team of environmental social scientists from across academia, policy and practice.
Gatersleben, B., Warren, G. W., Seymour, V., Brockett, B. F. T., Cardinal, I., Christie, I., Exadaktylos, T., Gilbert, N., Hadfield, A., Jones, C. R., Marselle, M., Marshall, H., Mitchell, C., O’Brien, L., Sovacool, B., Torres Contreras, G. A., Williams, S., Williams, C., & Lorentzon, A. (2026). Defining environmental social sciences for interdisciplinary research, policy and practice. Environmental Science & Policy, 184, 104493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104493
Quick Links
Who does environmental social science?
Environmental social scientists can be found in a range of classic and applied social science disciplines as well as consultancy, policy and practice.
They can be trained in a range of classic social science disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics), applied disciplines (e.g., education, marketing) and interdisciplinary fields (e.g., human ecology).
In policy and practice researchers may describe themselves as social scientist, social researcher, behavioural scientist, or social data analyst, rather than a subdiscipline.
Applied, interdisciplinary working and knowledge exchange are key.
Why engage with environmental social sciences?
Environmental problems are deeply rooted in social structures, but the importance of the range of environmental social sciences is not always clearly valued or understood.
Environmental social sciences offer different types of knowledge and insights to:
- help solve problems
- understand human-environment interactions
- provide novel innovative solutions and insights
How can you engage with environmental social sciences?
Practical insights
Provide practical science-based answers to specific problems
- Develop and test co-production, public engagement methods
- Communication or behaviour change interventions
- Evaluation methods or tools to assess social impacts
- Provide bespoke social science research training.
Diagnosis & evaluation
Study past, present relationships to forecast and advise
- Analyse the (social) processes that drive human behaviour and decisions
- Where change is most needed, acceptable, likely, and effective
- Social barriers, power relations, bottlenecks and opportunities for change in social systems.
Critique & innovation
Novel, critical perspective for fair and sustainable futures
- Challenge existing ways of working and thinking, highlight issues around fairness, equality, political pressure, norms, and cultures.
- Design collaborative, reflective research processes to stimulate novel ideas and make different voices heard.
Resources
Report: Environmental social science
What is it and why do we need it?
We have developed a clear definition of what Environmental Social Science is and how it can be used to address environmental challenges.
Webinar: Why do we need environmental social science?
Recording of a webinar with Professor Birgitta Gatersleben at Surrey University on 8 February 2024.
Presentation: Explaining environmental social science slide deck.
A PowerPoint presentation to aid engagement in the Environmental Social Sciences.
Report: A guide to working in inter-and transdisciplinary ways.
Supporting working across disciplines and stakeholder groups based on findings from the literature.
Report: A framework of considerations for increasing impact of environmental social science in policy and practice arenas.
Based on interviews with environmental social scientists.
Webpage: A systems map of organisations where there may be opportunities for collaboration.
Environmental Social Science Knowledge Exchange Map of Opportunities (ESS NEMO).
Report: Working with other disciplines and stakeholders
What is the impact and value of environmental social sciences in interdisciplinary research, policy, organisations and society.
A guide: List of toolkits
Useful toolkits to support environmental social scientists’ knowledge exchange activities.
Report: Toolkits for knowledge exchange
How can toolkits support environmental social science knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary working for increased impact?
Environmental Social Science Webinars
