Fischer‐Kowalski, M., & Hüttler, W. (1998). Society's Metabolism: The Intellectual History of Materials Flow Analysis, Part II, 1970‐1 998. Journal of industrial ecology, 2(4), 107-136.

Societal metabolism" provides the appropriate conceptual basis for the rapidly growing development and analylical and policy interest in materials flow analysis (MFA). Follow- ing the review of the earlier intellectual background of so- cietal metabolism in the first installment of this two-part article, this paper focuses on the current state of the art by examining more recent research referring t o societal me- tabolism in terms of material and substance flows. An op- erational classification of the literature according to frame of reference (socioeconomic system, ecosystem), system level (global, national, regional, functional, temporal), and types of flows under consideration (materials, energy, sub- stances) highlights some of its characteristic features.There follows an integrated discussion of some of the major con- ceptual and methodological properties of MFA, with a par- ticular focus on the field of bulk materials flows on a national level, comparing the major empirical results. Finally, the theoretical stringency research productivity, and politi- cal relevance of the MFA-related studies are assessed.