Social organisation plays a crucial role in shaping the relationship between environment and society. The school of social ecology emphasises that social relations, particularly the organisation of property and production, shape environmental perceptions and practices.

Property relations determine how and by whom natural resources can be used. For instance, if forests are owned by the government, it has the power to decide whether to lease them to timber companies or allow villagers to collect forest produce. Private ownership of land and water sources affects whether others can access these resources and on what terms.

The ownership and control over resources is related to the division of labour. Landless labourers and women have a different relationship with natural resources compared to men. In rural India, women experience resource scarcity more acutely because gathering fuel and fetching water are generally women's tasks, yet they do not control these resources.

Different social groups stand in different relationships to the environment. A Forest Department geared to maximising revenues will view a forest very differently from an artisan who harvests bamboo to make baskets. Their varied interests and ideologies generate environmental conflicts.

Environmental crises have their roots in social inequality. Addressing environmental problems requires changing relations between different social groups, which will give rise to different knowledge systems and modes of managing the environment.