Course Objectives
- Introduce students to the research in environmental sociology and to emphasize how a sociological perspective can inform our understanding of changes in the natural world. Although environmental sociology encompasses a large and growing literature, the course will focus upon several prominent works and will introduce students to the fundamental issues and debates in the field.
- Promote students’ ability to evaluate the existing research and to understand its implications. Class discussions, lectures, writing assignments, and the final paper will all help in the realization of this goal.
- Promote the development of a global perspective on environmental issues. Just as processes of environmental and social change are linked, developments originating in isolated regions often have worldwide implications. Conversely, global trends are often particularly manifest in specific locales. This course will attempt to make those critical connections evident.
- Enhance students’ writing and research abilities. Toward this end, each student in the course will complete regular writing assignments and a research paper.