SociologyandtheEnvironment

Cansociologyhelpustotackleenvironmentalproblems?Whatcansociologytellusaboutthenatureoftheenvironmentandabouttheoriginsandconsequencesofenvironmentalrisks,hazardsandchange?InthisimportantnewbookAlanIrwinmapsoutthisemergingfieldofknowledge,teachingandresearch.Hereviewsthekeysociologicaldebatesinthefieldandsetsoutanewframeworkforanalysisandpractice.Amongthethemesexaminedareconstructivismandrealism,sustainabledevelopmentandtheoriesoftherisksociety.Readersarealsointroducedtocommunitiesatrisk,institutionalregulationandtheenvironmentalconsequencesoftechnology.Particulartopicsfordiscussionincludegeneticallymodifiedorganisms,nuclearpower,pesticidesafetyandthelocalhazardsofthechemicalindustry.Ratherthanmaintainingafixedboundarybetweennatureandsociety,Irwinhighlightsthehybridcharacterofenvironmentalissuesandemphasizestheroleofsocialandculturalfactorswithinenvironmentalpolicy.Combiningtheoreticaldiscussionandcase-studieswithasensitivitytotheconcernsofenvironmentalpolicyandpractice,SociologyandtheEnvironmentprovidesanexcellentintroductiontoanexpandingandimmenselyimportantfield.Itwillbeavaluabletextforstudentsandscholarsinsociology,geography,environmentalstudiesandrelateddisciplines.