Environmental Sociology Syllabi and Instructional Materials

ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY SYLLABI AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FIFTH EDITION COMPILED AND EDITED BY RIK SCARCE SKIDMORE COLLEGE AND MICHAEL MASCARENHAS MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ i Undergraduate-Level Syllabi and Instructional Materials ........................................................................... 1 Joe Bandy, Environmental Sociology ................................................................................................................. 3 Mark E. Braun, Environmental Sociology ........................................................................................................ 11 Jeffrey Broadbent, Society And The Environment: A Growing Dilemma ....................................................... 16 Phil Brown, Environment And Society............................................................................................................. 24 Phil Brown, Contested Environmental Illnesses ............................................................................................... 28 Cliff Brown, Environmental Sociology............................................................................................................. 34 Robert J. Brulle, Introduction to Environmental Policy Analysis..................................................................... 41 F. Kurt Cylke Jr., Environmental Sociology ..................................................................................................... 46 Elizabeth Duffy, Social Problems: Environment .............................................................................................. 52 Zsuzsa Gille, Environmental Sociology: Nature, Culture, Power..................................................................... 60 Ken Gould, Environmental Movements............................................................................................................ 66 Clare Hinrichs, Environmental Sociology......................................................................................................... 71 Christine Overdevest, Readings in Environmental Governance ....................................................................... 78 Blake D. Ratner, Population, Environment, and Sustainability ........................................................................ 84 Blake D. Ratner, Sociology of Environmental Change..................................................................................... 90 J. Timmons Roberts, Globalization and the Environment................................................................................. 97 Tamara L. Smith, Environmental Sociology................................................................................................... 104 David A. Sonnenfeld, Society and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Dynamics, Issues, and Ethics ...................................................................................................................................... 109 Russell A. Stone, Society and the Global Environment.................................................................................. 115 Richard York, Risk, Technology, and the Environment ................................................................................. 123 Sammy Zahran, Political Economy Of The Environment............................................................................... 128 Stephen Zavestoski, Environmental Sociology............................................................................................... 137 Stephen Zavestoski, Health and the Environment........................................................................................... 142 Graduate-Level Syllabi and Instructional Materials ................................................................................. 148 Michael M. Bell, Environmental Sociology.................................................................................................... 149 Robert J. Brulle, Theory And Practice Of Environmental Policy Analysis .................................................... 166 Frederick H. Buttel, Environmental And Resource Sociology ....................................................................... 170 2 Sherry Cable, Advanced Topics in Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Policy: “Inequalities in Environmental Risk”........................................................................................................ 182 Lori M. Hunter, Population and the Environment........................................................................................... 199 Angela G. Mertig, Social Impact Analysis...................................................................................................... 207 Alan Rudy, Environmental Sociology............................................................................................................. 217 David A. Sonnenfeld, Environmental Sociology: Comparative and Historical Perspectives............................................................................................................................................... 223 Contributors..................................................................................................................................................... 244 3 INTRODUCTION We hope it says something important that this fifth edition of Environmental Sociology: Syllabi and Instructional Material arrives only four years after the fourth, whereas there was an eight year gap between editions three and four. Our parent discipline seems increasingly to appreciate the import of the “natural” on social phenomena. Durkheim may be turning in his grave, but we mean no disrespect. Indeed, it is a sign of the impressive power and reach of the sociological vision, and of sociological practice, that environmental sociologists have managed to extend their research interests into such vast arrays of human social existence that we can supply a wealth of thought-provoking information to our students. As we have searched these materials for themes, new developments, and possible emphases in our colleagues’ courses, a host of things stand out. We noted some of these as trends in the Fourth Edition; we mention them now because they are taking root. Other, equally exciting new developments are reflected in these pages as well. First, environmental justice has grown in importance to the point that it is taught in all survey courses, both at the undergraduate and the graduate levels. Moreover, the environmental justice literature is so expansive that it is can support the entire subject matter of some classes. Second, closely related to environmental justice are questions of environmental fairness and equity on a global scale. Like environmental justice, globalization was a noteworthy theme in the last edition of the syllabus set. Now there is a clear trend of instructors emphasizing globalization’s effects on diverse peoples and the environments upon which they depend. The character of the global environmental justice movement, and the allied issues associated with critiques of globalization, is likely to receive growing attention in our classrooms. Third, critical perspectives regarding the relationship of society to the nonhuman world continue to garner a great deal of attention. Can there be any more profound and far-reaching contradiction in late capitalism than our dysfunctional, self-destructive relationship with the nonhuman world? Even as capitalism enjoys its most secure period ever, the evidence mounts that its material foundations are in fact less secure than ever. That evidence is available to our students in ever-increasing volume and quality. That said, a fourth theme—one that is emerging and contradictory—can be found in these pages. Many observers see eco-Marxist concerns as mirroring those of theorists and researchers whose work reflects other perspectives in a key way: they tend to reify a nature-society dualism. Such facile distinctions, these scholars assert, are theoretically weak nor can they stand up to empirical investigation. Whether for understanding or for problem-solving, when we fail to appreciate the intimate interrelatedness of environment and society, and when we ignore the impossibility of distinguishing between the two in any but the most analytical senses, we simply spin our wheels. While this subject appears to arise primarily in graduate-level classes, it is likely to be a centerpiece of courses at all levels for years to come. Fifth, although environmental sociologists have long had an interest in the policy process, the growing emphasis in our courses on environmental policy making is impressive. This is an especially exciting development for those of us who have the opportunity to work with policy makers. It means, among other things, that our environmentally-inclined students will enter the job market better equipped than ever to influence policies, rules, and regulations. Sixth, more and more of us are using films and videos in our classrooms. Sociology generally, and environmental sociology in particular, comfortably admit a host of innovative teaching and learning 1 strategies. Non-traditional methods–like active learning–and tools that displace the instructor as the sole provider of information in classes are growing in popularity across the nation. They are likely to inspire more critical and aware

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