GGR223: Environment, Society, and Resources - Lecture Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts from the GGR223 course on Environment, Society, and Resources.

Political Ecology

A perspective that emerged in the 1980-90s to understand environmental problems and solutions; emphasizes broader systems and cultural influences on ecological decisions.

Apolitical Ecology

An approach that ignores political aspects of environmental research, treating nature as separate from cultural and political contexts.

Governance

Arrangements through which governments and other actors direct actions, combining laws, regulations, standards, and social norms.

Common Property Resource

Resources that all users can access, like water and forests, regulated or managed by community agreements.

Tragedy of the Commons

A theory positing that individuals acting in their self-interest can overuse and deplete shared resources.

Environmental Kuznets Curve

The hypothesis suggesting that as a society's income increases, environmental degradation increases initially but then decreases.

Socionatures

Concepts that recognize the intertwined relationship between social and natural systems, emphasizing a hybrid understanding of 'nature'.

Focal Species

Species that serve as symbols or indicators for broader environmental initiatives, like the grizzly bear in conservation efforts.

Elinor Ostrom

A political economist known for her work on the management of common property resources and critiques of Hardin's views.

Contextual Governance

Governance that adapts to local conditions and recognizes the complexities of ecological and social interactions.