Introduction

Conservation Social Science

Conservation social science is an interdisciplinary field that examines the human dimensions of biodiversity conservation. It draws from a wide range of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science, and economics to better understand how individuals, communities, institutions, and societies interact with nature. Conservation social science emphasizes the role of social values, cultural practices, governance systems, and power dynamics in shaping ecological outcomes. By integrating social aspects into conservation projects, policies and initiatives, this field seeks to design more equitable, effective, and context-sensitive strategies that align both ecological goals and human well-being.

From linear models to complex social-ecological systems

Initially, social sciences approached human behavior through relatively straightforward, linear models. One of the most dominant paradigms in the mid-20th century was the assumption that increased knowledge or information would naturally lead to a change in attitudes, and subsequently, to a change in behavior. However, over time, researchers and practitioners began to observe significant gaps between information, knowledge and behaviour. For example, people might understand that you should not walk outside paths in national parks but they continued to walk outside these paths. These inconsistencies led to the realization that human behavior is influenced by a multitude of factors beyond just information, including values, emotions, social norms, place attachment-referring both to individual and more collective factors. The inadequacy of linear models in explaining real-world behavioral patterns prompted a major shift toward more complex, multidimensional frameworks.

One such model that emerged from this shift is the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) Theory, developed by Paul Stern and colleagues in the early 2000s. VBN theory integrates elements from several preceding models, including Schwartz’s norm-activation theory and the New Environmental Paradigm. The model proposes that behavior is driven not just by knowledge or attitudes, but by a chain of psychological variables that begin with core values (such as altruism or biospheric concern), which influence ecological worldviews (beliefs about the human-nature relationship), which then activate personal norms (feelings of moral obligation), ultimately leading to pro-environmental behavior.

What sets VBN apart from earlier linear models is its acknowledgment of deeper, more stable influences such as values and beliefs. Unlike attitudes, which can be transient and context-dependent, values tend to be enduring and shape an individual’s general worldview. This allows the VBN model to better account for why individuals with similar levels of knowledge may behave differently based on their underlying belief systems and moral commitments.

In parallel, another significant development in the social sciences was the rise of systems thinking, particularly the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Framework, prominently associated with the work of Elinor Ostrom and the resilience theory community. The SES framework represents a major departure from individual-focused models by emphasizing the interconnectedness of human and ecological systems. It acknowledges that behavior is shaped not only by individual cognition but also by institutions, governance systems, resource dynamics, and feedback loops within complex adaptive systems.

The SES framework is particularly useful for understanding collective behavior and resource management in contexts like fisheries, forests, or urban planning. It integrates insights from economics, political science, ecology, and anthropology, allowing researchers to analyze how multiple variables—such as property rights, resource availability, trust among users, and monitoring systems—interact to influence outcomes. This systemic approach recognizes the non-linear, dynamic, and often unpredictable nature of social-ecological interactions.

Ecosystem Services and Nature's Contribution to People

A key development closely tied to these frameworks has been the growing emphasis on the concept of ecosystem services—the benefits humans derive from nature, such as pollination, water purification, climate regulation, and recreation. Emerging in the late 1990s and popularized by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), this concept was a breakthrough in integrating ecological and social concerns, by translating environmental degradation into tangible human impacts. It marked a shift from protecting naturefor its own saketo protecting naturefor people, thereby making conservation more relevant to human well-being.

However, critiques of the ecosystem services framework noted that it tended to emphasize economic valuation and could underrepresent cultural, spiritual, and relational values. In response, the Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP) framework was introduced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

Our approach in the SOCIAT program

The field of conservation social science is vast and can at times feel overwhelming. In this workshop, we primarily draw on insights from environmental sociology, behavioral sciences, conservation humanities, and environmental psychology. This focus does not diminish the value of other disciplines, but rather reflects the specific goals of our program: to support practitioners in understanding and capturing the social outcomes of nature protection and restoration initiatives, particularly through exploring people's perceptions of these efforts. We believe these selected fields offer particularly relevant and practical tools for consistently and effectively addressing social dimensions in conservation work. If you are interested to read about the theory behind SOCIAT please read one of our open-access publications Link opens in a new windowexplaining the key indicators used in SOCIAT.

At the end of this page, you will find a list of recommended resources covering the topics mentioned in the first part of the workshop. If time allows, we encourage you to explore them all!