Sociological Theory and the Environment

This comprehensive survey and assessment of sociological theories of the relations between societies and their 'natural' biophysical environment touches on and addresses virtually all of the major perspectives, focal points, and debates in environmental sociology today. At the same time, the book aims to go beyond an inventory of environmental sociological theory by stressing how new ground can be broken in the articulation of environmental sociology with major classical and contemporary sociological theories.

Sociological Theory and the Environment is a comprehensive survey and assessment of sociological theories of the relations between societies and their "natural" biophysical environment. This book touches on and addresses virtually all of the major perspectives, focal points, and debates in environmental sociology today—classical and twentieth century social theories, macro-micro linkage issues, globalization and development, reflexive modernization, ecological modernization vs. "limits" viewpoints, modernity and post modernity, risk society, constructionalism-realism, environmental movements/identities, consumption and environment, cultural sociologies of the environment, and so on. At the same time, the book aims to go beyond an inventory of environmental sociological theory.Sociological Theory and the Environment stresses how new ground can be broken in the articulation of environmental sociology with major classical and contemporary sociological theories.

Part 1 Preface
Part 2 I Introduction and Overview
Chapter 3 1 Sociological Theory and the Environment: An Overview and Introduction
Part 4 II The Classical Tradition and Environmental Sociology
Chapter 5 2 Environmental Sociology and the Classical Sociological Tradition: Some Observations on Current Controversies
Chapter 6 3 A Green Marxism? Labor-Processes, Alienation, and the Division of Labor
Chapter 7 4 Ecological Materialism and the Sociology of Max Weber
Chapter 8 5 Has the Durkheim Legacy Misled Sociology?
Part 9 III Environmental Sociology and Twentieth Century Sociological Theory
Chapter 10 6 Social Theory and the Environment: A Systems-Theoretical Perspective
Chapter 11 7 Dynamic Constellations of the Individual, Society, and Nature: Critical Theory and Environmental Sociology
Chapter 12 8 World-System Theory and the Environment: Toward a New Synthesis
Part 13 IV Sociological Theory and Environmental Sociology in the Late 1990s: Modernity, Culture, and the Natural World
Chapter 14 9 Modernity, Politics, and the Environment: A Theoretical Perspective
Chapter 15 10 Inconspicuous Consumption: The Sociology of Consumption, Lifestyles, and the Environment
Chapter 16 11 Social Theory and Ecological Politics: Reflexive Modernization or Green Socialism?
Chapter 17 12 The Social Construction of Environmental Problems: A Theoretical Review and Some Not-Very Herculean Labors
Chapter 18 13 When the Global Meet the Local: Critical Reflections on Reflexive Modernisation
Chapter 19 14 Cultural Analysis and Environmental Theory: An Agenda
Part 20 V Sociological Paradigms and Environmental Sociology
Chapter 21 15 Paradigms, Theories, and Environmental Sociology
Part 22 Index
Part 23 About the Editors
24 About the Contributors