Social Metabolism: A New Socio-ecological Theory

Authors

  • Víctor M. Toledo CIECO-UNAM

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v34i136.163

Keywords:

social metabolism, socio-ecology, nature and society, Marx, Alfred Schmidt

Abstract

Given the need to construct conceptual frameworks that make it possible to conduct congruent analyses of the relations between natural and social processes from a holistic or integrative perspective, this article develops a narrative of the theory of social metabolism, an instrument proposed in the past decade to better our understanding of today’s complex reality. To this end, it presents a brief review of the origins of the concept and a synthesis of its principle meanings. The essay ends by drawing attention to the theoretical potential of the concept, despite the various interpretations and versions of it that exist.

Published

2013-12-09

Issue

Section

Ecología, fruto del ambiente y del tiempo