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The Only Constant

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Beyond the Knowledge Crisis

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies on Norbert Elias ((PSNE))

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Abstract

The notion that change is coming, ready or not, is a common theme in socio-environmental literature. Whether through proactive efforts to transform social systems in the ways called for or the unfolding consequences of human activities to date, the future is expected to be very different from the present. Either way, analysts argue, we need a reliable theory of social change which can serve as a guide for both making the needed changes and navigating the turbulence ahead. Unfortunately, the problematic concepts which have obstructed our ability to think and speak clearly about human relational processes have also obscured our understanding of social change. After reviewing key influences on how people think about change and academic efforts to study social change more scientifically, this chapter discusses how the socio-environmental synthesis framework serves as an actionable theory of social change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Studies, Hiram College, Hiram, OH, USA

    Debbie Kasper

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  1. Debbie Kasper
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Correspondence to Debbie Kasper .

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Kasper, D. (2021). The Only Constant. In: Beyond the Knowledge Crisis. Palgrave Studies on Norbert Elias. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48370-8_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48370-8_9

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-48369-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-48370-8

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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