5 Questions
What are the three main roles of sociology in relation to the environment?
detailed knowledge and understanding of the concepts and perspectives, understanding of the social shaping of environmental problems, evaluation of policies and solutions
Which of the following is an example of a global environmental problem?
Global warming
Social constructionism emphasizes the importance of understanding how environmental issues are framed and perceived.
True
Critical realism aims to uncover the underlying 'causal mechanisms' of events and problems by combining evidence from across the ______ and natural sciences.
social
Match the following environmental sociology approaches with their descriptions:
Social Constructionism = Focuses on how environmental issues are framed and perceived by society Critical Realism = Aims to uncover causal mechanisms of environmental events by combining evidence from various sciences
Study Notes
Environment and Society: Concepts and Perspectives
- Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of environmental sociology concepts and perspectives.
- Understand the social shaping of environmental problems and the role of status, power, and social equity.
- Analyze and critically discuss society's response to environmental problems using environmental sociology theory.
Sociology and the Environment
- Study the relationship between the natural environment and human society.
- Environmental issues: global warming, flooding, and pollution.
The Role of Sociology
- Distribution of environmental problems: sociology helps understand how environmental problems are distributed unequally.
- Impacts of human behavior patterns on the natural environment.
- Evaluation of policies and solutions to environmental problems.
Sociological Theories on the Environment
- Classical sociological theories (functionalism, conflict, symbolic interactionism) and their relevance to human-environment relations.
- Development of sociological theories on the environment since the 1970s.
Social Constructionism
- Approach to studying social problems, focusing on how environmental issues come to be seen as significant.
- Questions the framing of environmental problems and the interests behind them.
- Asks critical questions about the history of the problem, who makes the claims, and what evidence supports them.
Critique of Social Constructionism
- Agnostic about direct scientific questions on environmental problems.
- Focuses on how the problem is constructed, not the scientific evidence.
Critical Realism
- Combines evidence from social and natural sciences to understand environmental issues.
- Aims to uncover underlying causal mechanisms of environmental problems.
- Accepts and debates knowledge from natural and environmental sciences.
Comparison of Social Constructionism and Critical Realism
- Social constructionism: sociology of the environment, conventional sociological stance.
- Critical realism: environmental sociology, calls for revising sociological approaches to incorporate natural and environmental sciences.
Example: Asbestos Problem
- South Africa banned asbestos in 2008 due to the risk of mesothelioma.
- Required scientific and sociological enquiry to reach policy changes.
Test your knowledge of environmental sociology concepts, the social shaping of environmental problems, and society's response to environmental issues.
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