ABSTRACT
Summary of key points:
Contemporary ecological and sociological theory both appear to be talking about the same thing: uncertainty, and capacity building to cope with it.
Plurality would appear to allow for a wide range of meanings and also a wide range of responses to unpredictable situations.
Approaches cannot be overly prescriptive but should be context-specific, stressing adaptability and a multiplicity of values rather than a tyranny of singular meaning.
Nature can be regarded as “what is autonomous to us” , with ecosystems as a “contingent state of conjunctions” showing dependency bur not necessity.
People and other living things have the potential to create new types of responses; development of beliefs and meanings is seen as the way forward in achieving personal and institutional capacity for adaptability.
Ideas are enabled into an action through experiences which demonstrate tangible benefits.
