Social Ecology Group25 The elite class manipulates the

Social Ecology Group-25

The elite class manipulates the natural resources “for their own benefits but only at a substantial cost to the environment and disadvantaged social group. ”

Genesis of Social Ecology. • There has always been a tussle between development and the environment. • It was presumed that industrialisation was the major cause for the ecological degradation.

What is Sustainable Development? ‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. Commission on Environment and Development (1987)

What is Social Ecology? • The term “social ecology” was given by Murray Bookchin (1964) in his book “Ecology & Revolutionary Thought”. • It is the study of the reciprocal relationship between the human society and the ecological infrastructure.

Time Line of Social Ecology. • History: Human attachment with the nature. • 1882: Term ecology coined by Ernst Haeckel. • 1950: William Vogt’s “Our Plundered Planet”. • 1950 s: Murray Bookchin’s work on hazards of pesticides & food activities.

Time Line (cont…) • 1962: Murray Bookchin, “Our Synthetic Environment”. • 1962: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. • 1964: Term Social Ecology coined by Murray Bookchin in “Ecology & Revolutionary Thought”. • 1964: Article in “Bioscience” titled “A Subversive Science” challenged the accepted social & economic practices.

Time Line (cont…) • 1970 s & 1980 s: Anti-Nuclear Alliance. • 1980 s: Green Politics in West Germany & other European Countries. • 1999 -2000: Conference on Biodevastation was carried out against Biotechnology. • March 2002: Labeling of Genetically Engineered food.

Objectives of Social Ecology. • Conservation of biodiversity. • Sustainable development. • Reducing the dependency of the society on the ecosystem. • Creating awareness about the environment.

Challenges in Social Ecology. • Industrialisation. • Development. • Improving lifestyle. • Over-population. • Controlling demands.

Categories of Social Ecology. • Ecological infrastructure. • Economy. • Social structure. • Polity. • Culture. According to Ramachandra Guha in his book ‘Social Ecology’.

Social Ecology in Indian Context. • Chipko Movement. • Bhopal Gas Tragedy. • Sardar Sarovar Dam. • Jatadhari (Paradip).

References • Baviskar A “For a Cultural Politics of Natural Resources”, Economic and Political Weekly, November 29, 2003 • Bookchin M “Reflections: An Overview of the Roots of Social Ecology”, Harbinger, A Journal of Social Ecology (Vol 3, No. 1) • Gadgil G “Ramachandra Guha: The trouble with radical environmentalists”, www. infochange. com/changemaker 5 • Guha R (ed. ) 1994 Social ecology (Delhi: Oxford University Press) • Guha R and Martinez-Alier J 1998 Varieties of environmentalism: essays north and south (New Delhi: Oxford University Press) • Malik B B 2004 Social Ecology of Forest Resources (Delhi: Kalpaz Publication) • Staudenmaier P “Economics in a Social-Ecological Society”, Harbinger, A Journal of Social Ecology (Vol 3, No. 1) • Tokar B “Social Ecology and Social Movements from the 1960 s to the Present”, Harbinger, A Journal of Social Ecology (Vol 3, No. 1) • http: //www. thegreenfuse. org/socialecology. htm

Social Ecology Presented by: Saurabh Pandey 47 Shruti Rao 48

Thank You & Over to you…