THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increase in interest in the circular economy (CE) in science and practice. In both cases, the benchmark for an activity is the degree of environmental degradation. CE is a concept based on sustainable development, taking into account the balance of three areas: environmental, economic, and social. While the first two are relatively well described and measurable by quantitative indicators, the third is still not satisfactorily represented in science and practice. To embed CE in scientific discourse, it seems appropriate to use the umbrella concept, which implies the integration of different fields and disciplines into new research areas. This article focuses on the social aspect, emphasizing the role of management sciences, which, with the selection of appropriate methods, can be the key to studying and describing this area. The purpose of this article is to try to select a research paradigm for the social aspect of CE, so that the concept fits more fully into the assumptions of sustainable development.

Keywords

• circular economy
• ce
• paradigm
• management sciences
• umbrella concept