Ecological regimes : towards a conceptual integration of biophysical environment into social theory

Due to their view of the constitution of the 'social', social sciences tend to exclude the biophysical environment from their subject matter. In order to prevent naturalistic explanations, only social explanantia have been taken up in explanatory approaches to social facts. However, increasing environmental problems and the discourse on sustainable development cast severe doubts regarding the exclusion of the biophysical environment. Accordingly, several approaches strive to integrate biophysical aspects into existing social theory. Most of these theoretical approaches are, however, limited to either focusing upon the level of inidvidual action or on the macro level. The institutional level largely remains underexposed. In respect of this research desideratum the paper presents the concept of "ecological regimes", which provides an innovative contribution to integrate the biophysical environment into existing social theory on the level of aggregated action.