SOCS 325 Discussion Environmental Sociologist Studies
SOCS 325 Discussion Environmental Sociologist Studies
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Introduction and Resources
Define what Environmental Sociology means to you, and
describe what an Environmental Sociologist studies.
DQ2 ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM AND JUSTICE
Students are required to include one Video Media Upload
(Record/Upload Media) for each graded topic, each week.
For Video-Media Upload instructions, refer to Resources in
Introduction and Resources
Compare and contrast, providing examples of each, the
constructs of environmental racism and environmental justice.
SOCS 325 Discussion Environmental Sociologist Studies
Environmental sociology is the field of sociology dealing with the interactions between societies and their environments. It may focus on the social dimensions of either the natural environment or the human-built environment.
An environmental sociologist is a sociologist who studies society-environment interactions such as the environmental movement, how people in societies perceive environmental problems, the relationships between population, health, and the environment, globalization, and the mechanisms behind environmental injustice.
What Does an Environmental Sociologist Do?
Environmental sociologists study such issues using standard sociological research methods. For example, they develop valid data collection instruments such as surveys and interviews. They use them to collect data about the environmental attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in groups. Alternatively, they may collect data based on observation and reviewing existing documents. They may plan and conduct research to test their theories about issues such as the valuation of nature, attitudes toward environmentalism, and belief in human-induced climate change. They then analyze the data to make conclusions about environmental behaviors, and potentially suggest ways to address problems. Sociologists generally share the results of their research by writing and publishing academic papers and submitting reports to their organizations. Many are faculty members at colleges and universities who teach sociology, in addition to conducting research.
Environmental sociology is typically defined as the study of relations between human societies and their physical environments or, more simply, “societal–environmental interactions” (Dunlap and Catton 1979). Such interactions include the ways in which humans influence the environment as well as the ways in which environmental conditions (often modified by human action) influence human affairs, plus the manner in which such interactions are socially construed and acted upon. The relevance of these interactions to sociology stems from the fact that human populations depend upon the biophysical environment for survival, and this in turn necessitates a closer look at the functions that the environment serves for human beings.
