SOCI 230 Sociology of Environment
In this course, we will use a sociological lens to talk about the ways in which the human and environment interact. We will deal with issues of the complex social processes that define, create, and actually harm our natural environment. We will pay attention to social problems, corporate crime, and government negligence that affects the environment, but we will also investigate why we think about the environment as something decidedly distinct from the human being. We will critically self-examine, and come to terms with how we, in our daily lives, serve to reinforce environmental distinctions and differences. We will also examine the steps that are being undertaken by modern social movements, environmental activists, and law enforcement agencies that serve to counteract environmental inequality and potential catastrophe. Through it all, we will maintain a focus on understanding the environment in both a macro- and micro-lens: we are the environment, and the things we do matter (more than we might think they do).