SOC 300: Section 2

Sociology of the Environment

Rebecca L. Schewe, instructor

MW 5:15-7:15PM

Fall 2015

Our lives and society are closely tied to the environment and natural resources, and through our daily actions we can both cause environmental degradation and support environmental solutions. In this course we will examine the ways in which our contemporary society depends on natural resources from around the world and the ways that social institutions create environmental problems and attempt to solve them. The course can be divided into three major sections: Causes, Consequences, and Responses. In Causes we will introduce the treadmills of production and consumption, examining the environmental reality of our high consumption society. In Consequences we will explore how people understand the environment and natural resources and the social consequences of environmental problems. In Responses, we will explore solutions to environmental problems and ways in which our society can become more ecologically balanced. 

When this course is completed you will have a deeper understanding of the relationship between society and the natural environment and be able to describe the major theoretical concepts in environmental sociology. You will be able to describe several major environmental concerns facing society and the strengths and shortcomings of proposed solutions.