Social Ecology Revisited: Eric Trist’s Conceptualizations of the Concept and Contemporary Applications and Articulations

Mary Bernard was awarded a Research and Professional Development grant to revisit the work of “Towards a Social Ecology” and examine its impact on current research.

Fred Emery and Eric Trist’s seminal work – “Towards a Social Ecology” – was published in 1973. Over the subsequent decades, Eric Trist worked towards establishing social ecology as a new field of inquiry. In his subsequent three volume work on the” Social Engagement of the Social Scientist” he reflected upon the conceptual and operational aspects of the work and their contribution to the social sciences. This research will explore, first, Trist’s conceptualization of social ecology including related concepts of organizational ecology, turbulent environments, social technical systems, and future strategic planning. Second, interviews will be held with students and followers of Eric Trist on their current use of the concept, their reflections on Eric Trist’s use, and their reflections on the concept’s use in current academic research and publication.