Reading books is an innovative investment. It boosts memory and imagination power of every individual. Sources like watching videos or audiobooks help but these do not widen our horizon. Books related to the environment must be read because usually this area is ignored and understood only as a theoretical curriculum of schools.
In this epoch, we need to study every aspect of the environment. For this growing world, two major fields that are environment and economics demand attention.
What is covered by Environmental Sociology?
Going through various problems under environment degradation everyone is concerned about it. The role of philosophers, authors and books are so crucial for any awareness and revolution. Environmental Sociology is a field that makes a correlation between society and nature that is based on various ideologies and theories of sociology. It is working towards building a strong relationship between society and nature that helps in thinking and analyzing environmental issues.
Scope and Career options
The study covers many wide horizons. The main objective and aim of the study are to trigger a sense of integrity in society about nature. This interaction always helps in maintaining the ecosystem. It helps in describing various ways to tackle and reduce the disruption of the environment. Factors like population control, social developments, ecology, and human needs, etc. are covered very precisely.
It depends on one’s goals that which will be the best-suited job option under this area. People can pursue advocacy in the same field and become lawyers. The demand in the corporate sector is very high in such courses. We can move towards the education sector and become professors, teachers, and mentors within this field. This area requires a high degree of research due to contemporary demand and job options for research analysts are good. Apart from these, we can go for Human Resource Development, Policy advisers, Public Relations Analyst and so on.
Here comes a newly emerging area called Environmental Sociology. Scholars of sociology like Weber, Marx always talked about nature and society but not in definitive terms. In more explicit use, the term environment sociology is used by Samuel Klausner in his book namely On Man in his Environment 1971.
Top 10 best books regarding environmental sociology:
This book is so comprehensive and well structured. Hannigan represents the empirical works of environmental sociologists in this book. There is detailed attention on European environmental theories. With the quick models of the UK, US, and Canada, Hannigan provides a reader to analyze environmental issues in a social context. It shows that why only specific environmental problems receive general public attention and society is not able to tackle these issues. In introductory two chapters, he gave an accurate insight into environmental sociology as a field of research with theories of important modern sociologists. He managed to correlate aspects like nature, justice, and society. His book is fully-fledged research on this area.
It is a good collection to describe the wide horizon of environmental disruption. Activities like migration, technological changes, change in land use pattern for livelihood, population pressure, and economical needs are some of the important factors that lead to poor functioning of a society. Areas like demography, political uses of sociology, forest and water issues, rehabilitation, etc. are taken into account very seriously with philosophical approaches of different thinkers. It also gives a picture of sociology as a wide field to learn. It helps readers to connect with practical instances using the theoretical framework.
Due to the worst ecological crisis going on these days, the need for protests is increased. This book examines every aspect of protests that have happened and might happen in the future. It is significant to read due to its capability of forming a relationship between ecology and sociology. He selected 6 movements precisely. It majorly focuses on third world countries. It the wide study of Indian movements like the Chipko Movement, Silent Valley Movement, etc. and international movements like the anti-Chico Dam Movement in the Philippines, the Sarawak Movement in Malaysia and so on. Due to developmental activities, the standard of living and livelihood problems has elevated so much. Concerns like the capitalist economy, food security crisis, desertification and many more got a place in his book. Many pragmatic solutions are also discussed to balance social, political and ecological systems.
Sociological aspects like race, caste, gender, and others have a linkage with many environmental issues. This book gives a good insight into it. It has excerpts from many articles publishes on various sociological perspectives. It is used by many universities for undergraduate students thus have a well-written material. Sections like social constructionism, science and health were also added in the second edition to upgrade interest. Most importantly a chapter on “Thinking about Change/Working for Change” helps students to see the impact of individual actions on the future planet.
This is an extraordinary collection of twenty articles of several issues that have their core as environmental sociology. Broadly authors divided this book into four parts namely theory, causes of environmental destruction, social consequences of these causes and social responsiveness regarding disruption. The theory section has a very concise and accurate description of theories under environmental sociology that are so praiseworthy. Part 2 leads to connect us that how corporate power is responsible to alter the information regarding the environment along with this many causes are discussed. With the last two parts, he engages readers with the social aspects of these destructions. The book is the combination of environmental sociology obviously with social justice, social movements, social problems, inequality and so on. It is so insightful with a constructive framework.
The presentation of various contents in this book is worthy. It is one of the leading books related to sociology. In its revised edition, new topics like tribal unrest, globalization, domestic violence, consumerism, and agricultural distress connect sociological perspectives with environments. The very essence of this publication is that it binds the readers with it. From an environmental perspective, it also discusses other social evils like honor killing, violence against child and women, unemployment, poverty, etc.
It is the systematic study of sociological aspects of processes and problems. It reviews the critical aspects of social reforms. Major religions like Hinduism and Islam respond to modernization differently and this book gives a versatile description under this area. It is important for environmental sociology as it reveals the ideas of sociologists on the processes of modernization and development. It not only places meanings with existing social practices but also establishes new conceptual schemes.
He is one of the most original global development analysts. Under this book, he compiled many global scenarios together to show how global citizens involve in using any holistic approach towards environmental degradation, socio-economic injustices, and political-economic injustices. The use of sustainable development is very well explained. It is a very informative and inspiring book. It holds for every section of readers including students, policymakers, teachers, activists, and environmentalists.
The major aspect of India’s environmental changes depends upon the life of tribal people and their activities. With this book, we can find the complexities of life in tribal areas. It defines what changes the life and habits of tribal people due to external influence. It is a standard book prescribed by many. Modernization of forest areas usually brings outsiders into their areas. It is so problematic for them to survive in new emerging India. At the same time, the book guides the readers to know about certain aspects of employment generation and other facilities for youth tribal.
Due to undergoing radical social and environmental changes sustainability is now the only option left with us. But due to globalization and development, the consumption patterns are inequitable, unsustainable and inaccessible. Through book author literally provides the ways of sustenance by using sociological forces. The book widely promotes the reformist ideologies for social, economic, political and environmental reforms because our planet has perils of all these aspects. It also provides man-nature relationships along with historical and theoretical approaches to sustainable development. It is worth reading.
There are so many other books like An Invitation to Environmental Sociology, The International Handbook of Environmental Sociology, Controversies in Environmental Sociology, Environmental Sociology: European Perspective and Interdisciplinary Challenges and many more.
Some of the above-mentioned books might be costlier comparatively but with e-books, we could get them to read.
This field demands vast interest because it is related to our social life. We can not cram things to justify our answers. There should be an interconnection between society and nature. People do not understand this linkage and that’s why the field is emerging. We should learn it wisely and practically.
We believe in sharing knowledge with everyone and making a positive change in society through our work and contributions. If you are interested in joining us, please check our ‘About’ page for more information