Overview

From its inception, the field of industrial ecology has taken a distinctly technological approach to understanding and improving ecological consequences of industrial activities. Increasingly however, scholars and practitioners are developing perspectives on the social embeddedness of industrial ecology: the ways in which material and energy flows in regions and product chains are shaped by the social context in which they occur. This book presents empirical work addressing how cognitive, cultural, political and structural mechanisms condition the emergence and operation of industrial ecology. Further exploring such mechanisms holds promise for understanding both the barriers to, and opportunities for, altering the ecological impacts of industrial practice.Through contemplative chapters and 'intermezzos', authors with different disciplinary backgrounds reflect on the contribution of work from various social sciences to industrial ecology. Unique to the volume, the authors of the commentaries bring in their personal and professional experiences, reflecting on how they have engaged in or have seen the value in cross-disciplinary work. They also include discussion explicitly on the dialogue and its value to the evolution of the field. In these ways, the book develops the dialogue between social science contributors and researchers from other disciplines within the field of industrial ecology. Scholars and students involved in the study of industrial ecology and related fields as well as practising managers and those involved in facilitating industrial ecology projects around the world will find this engaging and comprehensive volume indispensable.

Full Product Details

Author:   Frank Boons ,  Jennifer Howard-Grenville
Publisher:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
Imprint:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
ISBN:  

9781848448001

ISBN 10:   1848448007
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   31 January 2011
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

Contents: Preface PART I: AN OUTLINE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE POTENTIAL 1. Introducing the Social Embeddedness of Industrial Ecology Frank Boons and Jennifer Howard-Grenville 2. Ecology in the Social Sciences: An Overview Frank Boons 3. Don't Fence Me In... Henrikke Baumann First intermezzo Out Into the Open: The Promise of Dialogue Frank Boons PART II: REGIONAL APPROACHES 4. Eco-industrial Parks and Industrial Ecology: Strategic Niche or Mainstream Development? David Gibbs 5. Facilitating Regional Industrial Symbiosis: Network Growth in the UK's National Industrial Symbiosis Programme Raymond Paquin and Jennifer Howard-Grenville 6. The Social Embeddedness of Industrial Symbiosis Linkages in Puerto Rican Industrial Regions Marian R. Chertow and Weslynne S. Ashton Second Intermezzo A Transdisciplinary Perspective on Industrial Ecology Research Cynthia Mitchell Third Intermezzo Regional Eco-industrial Development: Views from Different Stakeholders Anthony Chiu PART III: PRODUCT CHAIN APPROACHES 7. Transgenic Crops in Brazil: Scientific Decision-making for Social Ambiguities? Jeremy Hall and Stelvia Matos 8. Commodities, their Life-Cycle and Industrial Ecology Timothy M. Koponen 9. Sustainable Supply Chain Management Stefan Seuring, Romy Morana and Yan Liu Fourth Intermezzo Product Chain Management and Social Sciences: Path Dependency, Cultural Validity and Short- and Long-term Feedback Loops Claudia R. Binder Fifth Intermezzo The Exchange of Ideas between Social Science and Engineering Approaches to Product Chain Industrial Ecology Bart van Hoof PART IV: THE SOCIAL SCIENCE CONTRIBUTION RECONSIDERED 10. A Critical View on the Social Science Contribution to Industrial Ecology John Ehrenfeld 11. The Social Embeddedness of Industrial Ecology: Exploring the Dynamics of Industrial Ecosystems Jennifer Howard-Grenville and Frank Boons Index

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Edited by Frank Boons, Professor of Innovation and Sustainability, University of Manchester and Sustainable Consumption Institute and Jennifer Howard-Grenville, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge,UK

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