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Ecology
The scientific study of interactions and relationships among organisms, as well as their interactions with the environment. The most basic assumption of ecology is that all organisms (vegetation, animals, humans, etc.) are interdependent and that they interact with nonliving things. Social ecology is a philosophical paradigm that stipulates that environmental problems result from the hierarchical structure of society. According to this perspective, the hierarchy in social classes and the increased power of specific social groups justifies the domination and exploitation of the environment. Social ecologists argue that the exploitative attitudes observed in society (such as racism, differential treatment of different social classes, etc.) share similar underlying processes with destructive behavior toward the environment (pollution, waste of resources, etc.). Social ecologists also argue that environmental challenges ...