Human ecology is the interdisciplinary study of human and ecological communities, to explore the relationships, dynamics and ruptures between nature, culture, society and economy. In these times of multiple crises, human ecology (the study of humans as an integral part of nature) has been described as ‘how, where and ultimately whether humans live on Earth’ (Ulrich Loening, 2019).
“Ecology is the science of relationships between living organisms and their environment. Human ecology is about relationships between people and their environment.” (Gerald Marten, 2001)
“Human ecology is the study of the relations between humans and their natural, cultural, built, and technological environments. It is a philosophy of education that is interdisciplinary, action-oriented, value-driven, and which puts students in charge of their own education. ” (College of the Atlantic, 2025)
Over the last 50 years, CHE’s developed a distinctive ‘Scottish School’ of radical human ecology: one which includes a grounded understanding of people and place, and sets traditional ecological knowledge and indigenous ways of knowing alongside scientific rigour. This work is rooted in the Scottish generalist tradition of the ‘democratic intellect’ – education should not just create intellectual elites, but should contribute to full human flourishing in a fair society where all can participate.
Thus understood, human ecology offers a framework for complex and deep understanding of our ecological and social predicaments and pathways for impactful change, while remaining firmly rooted within social and environmental justice frameworks to meet the needs of people and communities, while restoring ecosystems to function and diversity.