THE MANAGEMENT OF GREENING SOCIETIES USING PRACTICE THEORIES

Abstract

To assess the effectiveness of managing the impact of society on the environment, politicians and researchers use modeling of socio-economic processes with regard to environmental challenges and effects. The current paper explores the “pressure-state-response” model (PSR): human activity impacts the natural environment (pressure) and affects its quality and quantity of natural resources (state); society responds to these changes through policies as well as through changes in consciousness and behavior (response). Based on the theories of practice, we considered the element of “pressure” that shows the anthropogenic impact on the natural environment as a set of social practices, by changing the elements of which we can effectively manage the current state and possible responses. As a result, we selected the ideas that may help overcome the limitations of the “pressure-state-response” model. Besides, we described social practices as an element of “pressure”, focusing on the connections of social practices with the elements of “state” and “response” to explain how social meanings, competencies, and infrastructure determine the use of natural resources and how the anthropogenic impact on the natural environment should be reduced. We also identified possible approaches to developing indicators that characterize the components of the “pressure-state-response” model. The article may be of interest to researchers studying the processes of greening, scientists using the “pressure-state-response” model, and authorities developing more effective responses to the degradation of the natural environment.