Some dilemmas regarding the relationship between environmental protection and security of contemporary society

Namen prispevka: Prispevek je pregled nekaterih problemov v razmerju med problemi okolja in varnostjo z zornega kota varnostnih študij, še posebej z zornega kota teorije družbene entropije. Namen prispevka je opozoriti na pomen uporabe Baileyjeve teorije družbene entropije kot eksplicitne teorije s področja novejših sistemskih teorij, ki ne obravnava ločeno problematiko »okolja« in »družbe«, ampak je v osnovnem teoretskem okviru upoštevana problematika okoljske (prostorske) pogojenosti človekovega delovanja. Metode: Analiza in predstavitev nekaterih spoznanj teorije družbene entropije in povezave teh spoznanj z nekaterimi problemi varstva okolja in sodobnih varnostnih študij. Ugotovitve: Teorija družbene entropije je lahko koristno izhodišče, ki omogoča tudi operacionalizacijo problematike varstva okolja za potrebe ovrednotenja obstoječih problemov, kakor tudi za potrebo preventivnih in reaktivnih dejavnosti za iskanje rešitev. Omejitve prispevka: Zaradi omejenosti prostora prispevek pokaže le nekatere možnosti uporabe teorije družbene entropije pri soočanju s problematiko varstva okolja, niso pa prikazane primerjave (podobnosti in razlike) z nekaterimi drugimi sodobnimi teorijami. Prikazan ni niti razvoj teorije družbene entropije. Prispevek poudarja potrebo preverjanja teorije družbene entropije. Praktična uporabnost: Prispevek omogoča pregled vpetosti okoljske problematike (izraba in onesnaževanje okolja) v probleme sodobne družbe (problemi prenaseljenosti, kakovosti življenja, kulture, tehnike in organizacije družbe) in poudarja potrebo različnih teoretskih in empiričnih raziskav. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Prispevek je pomemben, ker nakazuje možnosti uporabe teorije družbene entropije kot izhodišča za teoretsko in empirično obravnavanje tako vprašanj varnosti sodobne družbe kakor tudi varstva okolja.Purpose: The article consists of an overview of some problems between environmental protection and security of contemporary society from the perspectives of security studies and especially from the perspective of social entropy theory. The main aim is to draw attention to Bailey‘s social entropy theory as an explicit theory from the field of modern systems theories. It does not discuss the environment and the society separately, but the basic theoretical framework deals with the environment as a factor which influences and is influenced by human behaviour. Design/Methods/Approach: The analysis and some results of social entropy theory, security studies and some findings of selected ecological studies are presented. Findings: The theory of social entropy can be a useful framework, which enables operationalisations of environmental problems in order to diagnose and evaluate the existing problems as well as to plan preventive and reactive activities in search for solutions. Research limitations/implications: Only some possibilities of theory of social entropy are presented, there are neither presented comparisons (similarities and differences) with other theories, nor the historical development of social entropy theory. The article is an exploration and a reflection about some possibilities of further development and empirical testing of social entropy theory. Practical implications: The article enables an insight in embeddedness of environmental problems in the problems of contemporary societies (overpopulation, quality of life, culture, technology, social organisation). The article draws attention to the need for various theoretical and empirical research endeavours. Originality/Value: The article is important because it shows possibilities of use of social entropy theory as a framework for theoretical and empirical research of problems of societal and environmental security