What is Environmental Sociology?. Diana Stuart

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What is Environmental Sociology?

      DIANA STUART

      polity

Copyright Page

      Copyright © Diana Stuart 2021

      The right of Diana Stuart to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

      First published in 2021 by Polity Press

      Polity Press

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      All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

      ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4438-7

      ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4439-4 (pb)

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Names: Stuart, Diana (Diana Lynne), 1979- author.

      Title: What is environmental sociology? / Diana Stuart.

      Description: Medford : Polity Press, 2021. | Series: What is sociology? | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “A succinct primer on how to think critically about society/environment interactions”-- Provided by publisher.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2021000067 (print) | LCCN 2021000068 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509544387 (hardback) | ISBN 9781509544394 (paperback) | ISBN 9781509544400 (epub)

      Subjects: LCSH: Environmental sociology.

      Classification: LCC GE195 .S7858 2021 (print) | LCC GE195 (ebook) | DDC 304.2--dc23

      LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021000067

      LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021000068

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Preface

      My approach for this book was inspired by my experiences teaching undergraduate and graduate-level environmental sociology and environmental studies courses over the past ten years. In recent years, I have noticed a significant shift in student morale. The existential environmental threats we currently face, especially those posed by climate change, are impossible for students to ignore, and many feel powerless and defeated by the lack of meaningful action taken. In my courses, I actively work to counter these feelings, as they only help to ensure our current trajectory. I emphasize potential solutions and alternative pathways. I also find it critical to repeatedly communicate and illustrate that another way and a different future is possible. We are not simply “doomed,” as there are many paths left to choose from, some that offer much more positive social and ecological outcomes than others.

There is tremendous work to be done to correct our current trajectory and steer a course toward the best future possible. Even if this path is through uncharted waters and the challenges are daunting, there is a moral imperative to keep going. We are also in an exciting moment in history, where public opinions have shifted and social movements are challenging the current system. At the same time, powerful groups are using vast financial resources to protect the status quo. In addition, unexpected events, like the Covid-19 pandemic, can quickly reshape what is politically and socially possible. Rather than feeling powerless and dreading the inevitable environmental disasters ahead, it remains critical that we keep working to justly minimize harm. Environmental sociologists continue to play a key role in this work. In this book, I highlight this work and focus on how environmental sociology can help us to address the escalating environmental threats we face and forge pathways for the best possible future.

1 Environmental Sociology: In Uncharted Waters

      Environmental sociology is a subdiscipline of sociology that examines the relationships between humans and the entities and processes on Earth that are often lumped together and referred to as “nature” or “the environment.” Dominant philosophical views from the past fortified the use of such terms to refer to what lies outside of the human or social world. In other words, we humans are here in society and “nature” or “the environment” is somewhere else, out there. However, as scientists, philosophers, environmentalists, and many others increasingly have realized, the idea of a separation between nature and society is far from accurate. We must also acknowledge that both “nature” and “society” represent complicated configurations of beings and entities and are concepts that are diverse, complex, and socially constructed.

If there is something called “the environment,” then we live in it, depend on it, and are a part of it. It is where we live, work,