1. Environmental Economics
Lecture 3: Overview of key terms in environmental sociology

2. Outline Logistics: What is sociology? Key theories Project
The Sustainability Task Force is soliciting applications for student members.
OpenLab
No class meeting on the 23rd
Sing up for SIMS fieldtrip?
What is sociology?
Key theories
Project

3. Sociology predicts Happiness Who is going to be your spouse
When you will marry
Number of children
Income
Health
Reported happiness
Life expectancy

4. Self-reported Individual Happiness

5. Age of Marriage

6. Life Expectancy

7. Life Expectancy

8. Three key approaches Functionalism: Interactionsim: Conflict theories:
Focuses on how groups of people achieve a consensus
Interactionsim:
Micro-sociology: examines interactions
Conflict theories:
Emphasizes inequalities

9. Environmental sociology: Why the 1970s?
Post-World War II—embrace of technology
1960s—backlash (Silent Spring,1962)
Important social movements (anti-nuclear movements in particular—Castle Bravo bomb in Bikini, Marshall Islands)
Powerful images from space (December 7, 1972):

10. Political economy 1. Ecological modernization:
Technology CAN and WILL solve environmental problems
We need more technology/modernization
Critiques of this approach?

11. Political economy 2. Treadmill of production:
Market economies are incompatible with ecological sustainability
Modernization leads to more degradation (e.g. industrial agriculture)
Metabolic approach: disruption in ecological systems is caused by inequalities and exploitation

12. Group project
List and briefly describe all major theories in environmental sociology
(until “Beyond the Boundaries of Environmental Sociology”)

13. World systems theory Externalization of environmental costs:
Rich countries are becoming post-industrial and environmentally cleaner
Poor countries suffer from pollution of industrial production
Berkeley study (August, 2015): “The air in Beijing is so polluted that breathing it does as much damage to the lungs as smoking 40 cigarettes a day.” (

14. Global polity approach
Emphasis on culture, not economic power
“Environmental” culture spreads across the world, impacting policy
Anti-fracking movements today (“Gasland”)

15. Environmental justice perspective
Unequal distribution of environmental harm
Majora Carter’s talk on South Bronx:

16. Risk society Technological risks:
Technology and expertise make it possible to achieve sustainability (Montreal protocol)
Grassroots movements and citizen-scientists against the establishment (experts and industry)

17. Risk society Disasters (non-routine events; could be they be slow?):
Realist approach: objective events caused by nature/manmade, used in policy-making
Constructivist approach: depends on how people see it (social construction; who is affected)

18. Arne Naess: Deep ecology
Against anthropocentrism, biocentrism
Critique: focus on humans as species (overpopulation):
poorer countries have more people, but consume less resources (are women in e.g. Africa responsible for ecological degradation?)

19. Ecological feminism
Domination and exploitation in society (over women) = exploitation of nature
Household toxins affect women disproportionately
Culture of masculinity in extractive industries (coal miner identities)

20. Critical animal studies
Similar to deep ecology: anti-speciesim
Animal populations:
Peter Singer on animal rights:
We can kill animals because they don’t have cognitive capabilities?
Children, mentally ill?
The principle of unnecessary suffering

21. Other theories: Environmental criminology Social movements
Crimes (corporate crimes)
Laws:
Established and unwritten (environmental justice)
Behaviors (inverted quarantine)
Social movements
Environment and labor

22. Project
Write a brief paragraph on your progress towards the class research project.
Have you decided on the topic? If so, what is it? If not, what potential topics are you considering?
Have you considered research sites? If so, list them.

23. Study Guide: Be prepared to define the following theories in environmental sociology:
Ecological modernization
Treadmill of production
World systems theory
Global polity approach
Environmental justice
Risk society: technological risks and disasters
Deep ecology
Ecological feminism
Critical animal studies