Welcome to Environmental Sociology!

John Bradford, Ph.D.

What is Sociology?

My favorite definitions: (these mean basically the same thing)

1. The scientific study of inter-actions and relations among human beings

2. The study of how people influence one another and the (intended and unintended) consequences of these influences.

What is ‘Environmental Sociology?’

• The Study of the Relationship between Societies (people) and their Natural Environments– Co-relation; Co-evolution; Inter-dependence; ‘Feedback’

(reciprocal, two-way causality); Dialogue, Dialectical• “Environmental sociology is ultimately about the study

of community in the largest possible sense.” (Bell)

NATURE SOCIETY

The Three Dimensions of Environmental Sociology

1. Material- how consumption, the economy, technology, and population affect environmental conditions;

2. Ideal- how patterns of thought, cultural practices, beliefs, and social experiences affect environmental conditions

3. Practical- what we can do to not only study these problems, but to ameliorate them

Taijitu

CHAPTER ONE

1. Sustainability: How long can we keep doing what we are doing?– Energy– Global Climate Change (Warming)– Ozone Depletion (‘Holes’)– Pollution: Acid Rain, Nuclear Waste, Oil Spills,

‘Smog’, Mountain Top Removal, ‘Fracking’, etc.– Species Extinction

2. Environmental Justice: Who gets the ‘Goods’ and who gets the ‘Bads’?