Socio-Ecological Transformation of Economics - Problems, Potentials, and Perspectives Sozial-ökologische Transformation der Ökonomik - Probleme, Potentiale und Perspektiven

Mainstream economics has not yet fully responded to the challenges of sustainable development. The interactions between socio-economic and ecological systems require a transdisciplinary and solutionoriented approach, which is significantly different practice for most economists. We introduce the concept of "socio-ecological transformations" and investigate 1. how socio-ecological transformations can be described and analysed in economic terms, 2. how socioeconomic and ecological interactions can be captured conceptually, and 3. what the potentials of individual and collective actors are to counter the apparent malfunctions of these interactions. We address these questions with respect to three areas of current economic research: modern game theory, evolutionary economics, and ecological economics. These areas of research offer some fruitful contributions to the study of socio-ecological transformations that may trigger a socio-ecological transformation of economics.