SOC165 Introduction to Environmental Sociology

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2011
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Benjamin Jeremiah Vail, Ph.D., M.Sc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D.
Division of Sociology – Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Timetable
Tue 10:00–11:40 P24
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 60 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/60, only registered: 0/60, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/60
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 19 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course introduces many of the major schools of thought and topics of research in the field of environmental sociology, and presents a historical overview of the development of environmental sociological theory and research. Each week, students are expected to attend the lecture, read the assigned literature, and watch required multimedia resources. By the end of the semester, students will have an in-depth understanding of the development of environmental sociology as an academic discipline, gain knowledge about historical and contemporary environmental issues, and be able to critically analyze the material and ideal relationships between modern society and its biophysical environment.
Syllabus
  • The course is organized as a series of weekly topics which include lectures, required reading, and some required videos and other multimedia.
  • The weekly topics include:
  • 1. Introduction to environmental sociology
  • 2. Consumption, materialism, and modern society
  • 3. The treadmill of production
  • 4. Sustainability
  • 5. Health, environmental justice, and risk
  • 6. Ideologies of environmental domination
  • 7. Ideologies of environmental concern
  • 8. Marx and the environment
  • 9. The social construction of nature
  • 10. Sociological perspectives on global climate change
  • 11. Resource Scarcity and Modern Society
  • 12. Environmental problems and solutions
  • Literature
  • Bell, M.M. 2004. An introduction to Environmental Sociology (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
  • Brower, M. and Leon, W. “How Many Simple Things Do People Need to Do to Save the Planet?” Chapter 1 in The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Three Rivers Press.
  • Bullard, R. Can Americans trust the government to protect them? Lessons from the World Trade Center ground zero and the aftermath of Katrina. CommonDreams.org, September 11, 2006.
  • Burkett, Paul. 1996. “On some common misconceptions about nature and Marx’s critique of political economy.” Capitalism-Nature-Socialism. Volume 7, pp. 57-80.
  • Buttel, F.H. 2004. “The Treadmill of Production: An Appreciation, Assessment, and Agenda for Research,” Organization & Environment 17(3):323-336.
  • Cohen, M. Some inconvenient truths about the politics of environmental crisis. Counterpunch.org, February 2, 2007.
  • Dickens, Peter. 1997. “Beyond sociology: Marxism and the environment.” Pages 179-194 in M. Redclift and G. Woodgate (editors). International Handbook of Environmental Sociology. London: Edward Elgar.
  • Dunlap, R. Michelson, W. and Stalker, G. 2002. “Environmental Sociology: An Introduction,” pp. 1-32 in Dunlap, R. and Michelson, W., eds., Handbook of Environmental Sociology, Westport: Greenwood.
  • ExxonMobil. 2007. “Peak Oil? Contrary to the theory, oil production shows no sign of a peak.”
  • Giddens, A. 2006. “The Environment and Risk,” pp. 936-969 in Sociology. 5th ed. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  • Jackson, D. Z. 2006. Insurance industry feels the heat of global warming. The Boston Globe newspaper, March 15.
  • Kelly, M. 2006. The hidden opportunity in global warming, Alternet.org. December 21.
  • Kennedy, R.F., Jr. 2003. “Crimes Against Nature,” Rolling Stone Magazine, December 11.
  • Kunstler, J.H. 2005. “The long emergency,” Rolling Stone magazine, March 24.
  • Luttwak, E. N. 2005. The truth about global oil supply. The First Post, August 11.
  • McCarthy, D. and L. King. 2005. pp.xi-xxx in Environmental sociology: From analysis to action. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Monbiot, G. 2006. Save the planet in 10 steps. The Guardian newspaper (UK), October 30.
  • Morris, D. 2006. What Al Gore hasn’t told you about global warming. Alternet.org, January 9.
  • Murphy, Raymond. 1994. “Environmental accountability under state socialism” in Rationality and Nature. Westview Press, pp. 149-157.
  • O'Connor, J. (1988) Capitalism, nature, socialism: A theoretical introduction. Capitalism, Nature, Socialism 1:11-38.
  • Prugh, Thomas and Erik Assadourian. 2003. “What is sustainability, anyway?” World Watch Magazine, pp. 10-21.
  • Selva, M. 2006.Toxic shock: How Western rubbish is destroying Africa. The Independent newspaper (UK), September 21.
  • Simon, J. and Buckley, W.F. 1982. “Answer to Malthus? Julian Simon Interviewed by William Buckley.” Population and Development Review 8(1):205-218.
  • Šimůnek, P. and Růžička, 2007. M. Klaus: Radar yes, when ... Hospodářské noviny. February 14.
  • Slade, G. 2006. Electronic waste a ticking time bomb. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, April 13. Slater, D. 1998. “Themes from the sociology of consumption,” Paper presented at the Consumption, Environment, and the Social Sciences Seminar, 6-7 July.
  • Worldwatch special section on peak oil. Pages 9-24 in WorldWatch Magazine, January/February 2006.
Literature
  • Environmental sociology : from analysis to action. Edited by Leslie King - Deborah McCarthy. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005, xxx, 487. ISBN 0742535088. URL info
  • BELL, Michael and Michael S. CAROLAN. An invitation to environmental sociology. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press, 2004, xvi, 325. ISBN 0761987754. URL info
  • BROWER, Michael and Warren LEON. The consumer's guide to effective environmental choices : practical advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. 1st ed. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999, xii, 292. ISBN 060980281X. URL info
Teaching methods
This is a normal classroom lecture course that meets weekly. The semester grade is based on your performance on the midterm and final exams.
Assessment methods
Success in this course depends on reading and watching all assigned materials, which serve as the basis for the two exams that determine your grade for the semester. Students are expected to attend every lecture, and information provided in lectures may also be tested in the exams. You will receive a final letter grade (A-F) for the semester based on the following components:

40% – Mid-term exam
60% – Final exam

The semester grade is based entirely on your exams grades. There are no other opportunities to affect your grade.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008, Autumn 2008, Spring 2009, Autumn 2009, Spring 2010, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Spring 2012, Autumn 2012, Spring 2013, Autumn 2013, Spring 2014, Autumn 2014, Spring 2015.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2011, recent)
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