Numbers, values, and epistemologies: The evolution of cultural filters in the Ecological Society of America

Background/Question/Methods

The Ecological Society of America was founded in 1915 "for the purpose of unifying the science of ecology, stimulating research in all aspects of the discipline, encouraging communication among ecologists, and promoting the responsible application of ecological data and principles to the solution of environmental problems."  At that time, the biological basis for inheritance was unknown, the possibility of war and/or economic collapse on a global scale had not been imagined, and western forms of deity-free religion (in the form of secular humanism) had not yet been articulated. In the USA, the legacy of manifest destiny was in full swing, and the idea that women might have something useful to contribute to public life was still a controversial idea. The thought that scientific societies might have legitimate reasons to influence public policy was, at best, a stretch.

Throughout all this, ESA has remained remarkably consistent in its pursuit of its founding principles, even though the demographics of the society, the scope of acceptable research directions, and the range of acceptable styles of discourse have changed in substantial ways. This paper traces major threads in the evolution of cultural filters at ESA by examining characteristics of ESA activities over the years, including publications, sections/chapters, and the scope of annual meetings.

Results/Conclusions

The continued success of ESA in “promoting the responsible application of ecological data and principles to the solution of environmental problems"  is due in part to the willingness of ESA leadership to adopt a flexible and adaptive stance relative to rapid changes in both sociocultural dynamics and scientific breakthroughs. This flexibility can be seen in the organizational history of the society, which reflects an ongoing evolution of cultural filters.