ABSTRACT
Beginning with a review of modern conceptions of realism, this chapter discusses how these define an ontology within which thinking about sustainability can be progressed. Realism provides a multi-level conception of causality, and one which, we contend, is a potentially powerful basis for understanding the nature of unsustainability in contemporary society. From a realist perspective, events are understood as outcomes which reflect both tendentially expressed, structurally defined mechanisms and contingent conditions. We argue that a particular significance attaches to the conditions which selectively activate key causal mechanisms, not least because these potentially form a basis for new strategies for the promotion of sustainable development. The final sections of the chapter consider first the general methodological considerations posed by a realist approach, and subsequently to the actual research methods used during the empirical research discussed later in this volume.
