Over the years, scholars have studied a wide range of social- ecological systems (SES; Cox 2014; Cox et al. 2010; Nagel and Partelow 2022; Partelow 2018; Villamayor-Tomas et al. 2020). Despite high-level aspirations for theory development based on comparative analyses with common frameworks (e.g., Ostrom 1990), moving towards general level claims on collective action or environmental governance has yet to specify variable-level patterns of interactions that reliably relate to outcomes (Partelow et al. 2020). Moreover, it has been argued that such a general theory is neither possible nor adequate for endorsing the diversity of SES (Cox 2008; Ostrom et al. 2007; Young et al. 2006). As a result, some have questioned the practical and theoretical utility of this line of research—a challenge for SES research shared with broader scholarship on environmental governance (Hofmann et al. 2025; Newig and Rose 2025). (Eisenack et al. 2025).
The archetype approach aims to identify generalizable patterns, where general regularities that apply to all cases cannot be expected. Like building-blocks, archetypes can be combined in different ways to explain individual cases. The approach is increasingly used in interdisciplinary sustainability studies.
I am member of an international Working Group of Archetype Analysis which aims to improve archetype analysis methodologically.
Own publications
Eisenack, Klaus; Epstein, Graham; Finzel, Lydia; Kellner, Elke; Nagel, Ben; Partelow, Stefan et al. (2025): Synthesizing Archetypes of Social‐Ecological Systems: Identifying Common Building Blocks. In Environmental Policy and Governance, Article eet.70006. DOI: 10.1002/eet.70006.
Partelow, Stefan; Villamayor‐Tomas, Sergio; Eisenack, Klaus; Epstein, Graham; Kellner, Elke; Roggero, Matteo; Tschopp, Maurice (2024): A meta‐analysis of SES framework case studies: Identifying dyad and triad archetypes. In People and Nature. DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10630.
Villamayor-Tomas, Sergio; Oberlack, Christoph; Epstein, Graham; Roggero, Matteo; Partelow, Stefan; Kellner, Elke; Tschopp, Maurice; Cox, Michael (2020): Using case study data to understand SES interactions: a model-centered metaanalysis of SES Framework applications. In: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 44, pp. 48–57. DOI: 10.1016/j.cosust.2020.05.002.