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SOCIAL SCIENCE WORKING GROUP

In recent years, there has been increasing interest within SCB to strengthen the links between conservation biology and the social sciences. At the 2003 annual meeting, workshop participants from a broad range of social science disciplines decided to create a Social Science Working Group (SSWG) within SCB. SCB's Executive Director Alan Thornhill has enthusiastically supported this initiative, and SCB has pledged its support to further our efforts.

The purpose of the Social Science Working Group is to promote a greater role for the social sciences in conservation by providing conservation biologists and other conservation practitioners with a portal to a broad network of social scientists working in conservation. The working group also will serve as a forum for discussion of the many challenges in developing productive collaborations between these two domains. Furthermore, the working group will serve a crucial educational function. The social sciences are diverse, and conservation practitioners mandated to address "human dimensions" or "socio-economic factors" in their work may not always recognize what the different disciplines can offer them. At the same time, many social scientists who work in conservation do not have adequate knowledge of key scientific principles that guide the work of conservation biologists. Finally, social scientists from particular disciplines--anthropology, geography, sociology, psychology, and so forth--stand to benefit from exchanges with those in other social science disciplines who are working in conservation. The Social Science Working Group is dedicated to addressing the interface between the social sciences and conservation biology by providing a crucial node for the dissemination of research methods and tools, the sharing of relevant scientific findings, and the discussion of current issues and debates.

In support of our efforts, SCB has established a Social Science Working Group listserv at www.conbio.org/SSWG/. The list is open to all, including those who are not currently members of SCB. The list is unmoderated, so all subscribers may post to the list. To join, go to http://list.conbio.org/mailman/listinfo/SSWG. The instructions for subscribing and changing message delivery options can be displayed in a large number of languages (Czech, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish). You may choose to receive list mail in a daily digest or to visit an archive: http://mailman.intermedia.net/pipermail/SSWG/.

The listserv also will provide a forum for the SSWG to plan future initiatives. Given the volume of email each of us receives, many people are averse to joining yet another listserv. Thus, it is imperative that we use the SSWG listserv as a platform to consider how to inform conservation practitioners and social scientists interested in conservation in ways that do not depend on listserv membership. Accordingly, individuals who are interested in remaining on the listserv can do so, while others who share our interests, but may not wish to subscribe, will have a place to go for further information. To facilitate this objective, SCB has provided the SSWG with space on the SCB server to develop a website. Thus, in the months ahead we will focus on discussing issues related to website development, such as organization, content, and links.

Conservation in a world dominated by humans requires that conservation biologists and social scientists work together to achieve conservation outcomes that are simultaneously effective and equitable. We face many challenges. The SCB Social Science Working Group will provide a forum to seek ways to collaborate in pursuit of this goal. If these efforts interest you, please sign up for the listserv and feel free to pass on this information to others.

-- Pete Brosius

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