Political Ecology

The Political Ecology Research Group conducts research into the relationship between human collectives and the biophysical world, drawing on a political interpretation of the related issues and a critical approach to key concepts such as nature, environment, ecology and sustainability. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between the material, social, economic, scientific, technological, regulatory, institutional and cultural aspects of access to resources – ranging from land and agricultural issues to emerging mobilisations and alliances, for example between the environmental movement and workers – as well as to the character and social, territorial and interspecies distribution of the impacts of environmental change and, more generally, to the relationship between production, reproduction and materiality. Adopting a transdisciplinary approach that draws on sociology and extends to a variety of perspectives within critical social sciences, we aim to address the challenges of bringing about socio-ecologically desirable change. 

The Group organises seminars, events and summer schools.

Our work currently focuses on these thematic areas:

•  Environmental Sociology & Political Ecology
•  Agrarian Change & Rural Politics
•  Critical innovation studies/ Science & Technology Studies
• Degrowth & Post-growth
• Global Environmental Politics
• (Post-fossil) Extractivisms and Just Transition

Publications

Gilbert, D., Gasparro, D., Kallis, G., Munoz-Sueiro, L., Grosinger, J., Tsagkari, M., Khan, F., Wright, G., & Varvarousis, A. (2026). Encountering degrowth. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 0(0)., https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486251414424 

Gasparro, D. (2026) La decrescita reale dai territori ai margini. Quaderni della Decrescita n. 8. ISSN 3034-9966, https://quadernidelladecrescita.it/2026/05/30/la-decrescita-reale-dai-territori-ai-margini/

Gasparro, D., Rossi, A., Piani, L.(2026) Introduzione: I semi di un futuro oltre la crescita. Editorial of the edited collection “Decrescita e ruralità: tra crisi e futuri possibili” in Quaderni della Decrescita n. 8. ISSN 3034-9966,  https://quadernidelladecrescita.it/2026/05/30/introduzione-i-semi-di-un-futuro-oltre-la-crescita/