LIGHT POLLUTION AND SOCIAL EFFECTS Güliz Zeynep Boz İrem Küçükünal

What is sociology? Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Sociology is an exciting and illuminating field of study that analyzes and explains important matters in our personal lives, our communities, and the world. Socio culturel is… A set of beliefs, customs, practices and behavior that exists within a population.

Light Pollution and Sociology Light pollution is a social issue that people caused. That’s because light pollution and its effects is one of the studies of sociology. Sociology can analyse causes of light pollution and bring them up for warning governments and help for possible solutions.

Light pollution didn’t considered as an environmental problem for a long time. In addition, the most illuminated cities have seen as the most developed ones. But we can not ignore the economic waste and energy waste behind this.

In most of the cities, the center districts are the most illuminated ones while the districts that away from center are less illuminated. Cultural and economic level goes higher, light usage also goes higher.

Light Pollution As A Global Issue After Industrial Revolution, urbanization increased and it caused a need for illumination which is necessary for sociology. Within illumination need, it revealed some effects on architect, human life, psychology, economy, etc.. While urbanization affected politics, economy, culture and health.

Illumination has become a source of urban problems Illumination has become a source of urban problems. To reduce this problem, we need education, awareness and konwledge.

Because of this, some group of works falls into governments, universities, instutions and foundations which dedicated themselves to this issue. One of them is firstly accepting the necessity of right and qualitied illumination and creating a culture of work.

Why do we brighten nights? According to society, lightened areas associated with safety, wealth and good life standart. But actually it means harming nature, environment and health. Not just wrong usage of light can cause light pollution. Too much usage of light also has many risks for environment.

As an example, in Turkey, some governments make public gardens less illuminated but society objects it. So gardens make illuminated again for society’s satisfaction.

It is not possible to see the night sky in center areas but in urban areas. The people who lives in both areas and their status are also one of the studies of sociology.

That’s because society must be informed and warned within the raisen awarness of light pollution. There is some responsibilities for societies about light pollution. Also, there are some works, associations and laws for reducing light pollution. In Turkey, there is a website called ‘isikkirliligi.org’ to make awarness on people about how serious is this and to show data about wasted light.

Projects from Turkey In Turkey, an association started a program called «Analysing the Sky Brightness in Turkey» in 2010. The purpose of this project is analysing the night sky brightness from spesific areas and comparing them with natural sky brightness. And assessment light pollutions economic, culturel and environmental side from these data.

For last, isn’t it odd that people are producing projects for environment but can not take easy measures for light pollution and see the stars again?

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