Constructivism and critical realism in environmental conflicts

Abstract

The article analyzes how social actors involved in environmental conflicts use a realist conception of nature in order to organize the dispute arguments, that is, they consider their evidence as an objective, true and rational explanation of nature. On the other hand, sociology has remarked the cultural and historical mediation to define the environment, fundamental contribution of the constructivist epistemological tradition. The problem is, if we use constructivism alone, it diminishes the importance of arguments in conflict and it can deny the independence and causality of nature. The author establishes the importance to link the environmental sociology practice with critical realism as an alternative to overcome those problems. Finally, he states the need to reclaim the narratives of local communities about nature and its problems in order to integrate their point of view in the solution of conflicts through the opening of deliberative spaces.