Social science approaches to critical zone studies: a systematic review
Journal
Environment, Development and Sustainability
ISSN
1573-2975
Date Issued
2024-12-20
Author(s)
Abstract
Critical Zone studies (CZS) advocated for interdisciplinary approaches and scaling efforts to comprehend the Critical Zone (CZ) as a complex system involving interconnected chemical, biological, physical, and geological processes. However, this focus often overlooks the social, economic and managerial impacts of human activities on the CZ and its associated services. This study is guided by two primary research questions. The first question investigates: "What is the current state of socially oriented research in CZS?" This inquiry aims to provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary research within CZS from a social sciences (SS) perspective. The second question examines: "What are the objectives and values associated with socially oriented studies in CZS?" This seeks to elucidate the goals and principles underpinning SS approaches in CZS. By addressing these questions, the study aims to underscore the significance of incorporating social science perspectives alongside traditional natural sciences in the development of a robust and comprehensive CZS. It seeks to delineate the landscape of social science contributions within CZS, clarify the objectives of socially oriented research, and propose future research agendas to advance a more integrative understanding of CZS. Through a systematic literature review (SLR) on CZSusing social science approaches, this paper reveals gaps in utilizing non-natural science approaches to comprehend human-nature interactions within the Earth's Critical Zone. Employing Scopus, Web of Science, and JSTOR databases, a qualitative analysis was conducted on 155 included publications, synthesizing 54 sub-categorized articles to explore the scope of research landscape. This study breaks new ground in advocating for a more inclusive approach to studying the CZ, recognizing the significance of social sciences alongside traditional natural sciences. It addresses the lack of attention given to social science objectives and values within CZS, proposing future research agendas to bridge the collaboration gap between natural and social scientists. The novelty lies in the comprehensive exploration of socially oriented studies within CZS, aiming to provide a nuanced understanding of human-guided processes influencing the Critical Zone. By emphasizing the necessity of integrating social science perspectives, the study offers innovative insights and proposes strategies to address environmental challenges more effectively.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Type
journal article