Table Of ContentHandbooks of Sociology and Social Research
Beth Schaefer Caniglia
Andrew Jorgenson
Stephanie A. Malin
Lori Peek
David N. Pellow
Xiaorui Huang Editors
Handbook of
Environmental
Sociology
Handbooks of Sociology and Social
Research
SeriesEditor
RichardSerpe,DepartmentofSociology
KentUniversity,Kent,OH,USA
The handbook series includes the latest and up-to-date overviews on topics
that are of key significance to contemporary sociological and related social
scienceresearch,includingrecenttopicsandareasofscholarship.Severalof
thevolumesdiscussimportanttopicsfromaninterdisciplinarysocialscience
perspective, covering sociology, anthropology, psychology, and psychiatry.
This prestigious series includes works by some of the top scholars in their
fields. These foundational works seek to record where the field has been, to
identifyitscurrentlocation,andtoplotitscourseforthefuture.
Moreinformationaboutthisseriesathttp://www.springer.com/series/6055
(cid:129)
Beth Schaefer Caniglia
(cid:129)
Andrew Jorgenson
(cid:129)
Stephanie A. Malin Lori Peek
(cid:129)
David N. Pellow Xiaorui Huang
Editors
Handbook of
Environmental
Sociology
Editors
BethSchaeferCaniglia AndrewJorgenson
TheSolutionsJournal DepartmentofSociologyand
NewOrleans,LA,USA EnvironmentalStudiesProgram
BostonCollege
ChestnutHill,MA,USA
StephanieA.Malin LoriPeek
DepartmentofSociology DepartmentofSociology
ColoradoStateUniversity andNaturalHazardsCenter
FortCollins,CO,USA UniversityofColoradoBoulder
Boulder,CO,USA
DavidN.Pellow XiaoruiHuang
EnvironmentalStudiesProgram DepartmentofSociology
UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara BostonCollege
SantaBarbara,CA,USA ChestnutHill,MA,USA
ISSN1389-6903 ISSN2542-839X (electronic)
HandbooksofSociologyandSocialResearch
ISBN978-3-030-77711-1 ISBN978-3-030-77712-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77712-8
#SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2021
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Contents
1 Introduction:ATwenty-FirstCenturyPublicEnvironmental
Sociology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
BethSchaeferCaniglia,AndrewJorgenson,
StephanieA.Malin,LoriPeek,andDavidN.Pellow
PartI Inequality,PoliticalEconomy,andJustice
2 IntersectionalityandtheEnvironment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
ChristinaErgas,LauraMcKinney,andShannonElizabethBell
3 EnvironmentalJustice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
RebeccaMaungandDavidN.Pellow
4 EcologicallyUnequalExchangeandEnvironmentalLoad
Displacement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
JenniferE.GivensandXiaoruiHuang
5 Consumption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
AnnikaRiegerandJulietB.Schor
6 CorporationsandtheEnvironment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
SimonePulverandBenManski
7 JustTransitionsandLabor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
ErikKojolaandJulianAgyeman
PartII Energy,Climate,andHealth
8 SociologyofEnergy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
StephanieA.Malin,AdamMayer,andJillLindseyHarrison
9 Risk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
AlissaCordner
10 SociologyandClimateChange:AReviewandResearch
Agenda. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . 189
DanielleFalzon,J.TimmonsRoberts,andRobertJ.Brulle
11 SociologyofDisasters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
LoriPeek,TriciaWachtendorf,andMichelleAnnetteMeyer
v
vi Contents
12 EnvironmentalFactorsinHealth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
ElisabethWilderandPhilBrown
13 FoodInsecurity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
DorcetaE.Taylor
PartIII Culture,theState,andInstitutions
14 AnimalsinEnvironmentalSociology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
LindaKalofandCameronT.Whitley
15 ReligionandtheEnvironment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
LynnHempel
16 EnvironmentalGovernance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
DanaR.Fisher,LorienJasny,JoshRedmond,
andFredericHeaume
17 GreenCriminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
MichaelJ.Lynch,MichaelA.Long,andPaulB.Stretesky
18 WarandtheEnvironment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
MichaelR.Lengefeld,GregoryHooks,andChadL.Smith
PartIV Population,Place,andPossibilities
19 EnvironmentalDemography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
LoriM.HunterandDanielH.Simon
20 LandUseandLandUseChange. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
ThomasK.Rudel
21 StructuralHumanEcology. . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . 439
ThomasDietzandRichardYork
22 EnvironmentalScienceandTechnologyStudies. . . . . . . . . . . 457
ScottFrickelandFlorenciaArancibia
23 TowardsanIndigenousEnvironmentalSociology. . . . . . . . . 477
KariMarieNorgaardandJamesV.Fenelon
24 EnvironmentalMovementsintheUnitedStates. . . . . . . . . . . 495
ErikW.JohnsonandJordanBurke
25 Socio-EcologicalSystems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
BethSchaeferCanigliaandBrianMayer
1
Introduction: A Twenty-First Century
Public Environmental Sociology
Beth Schaefer Caniglia, Andrew Jorgenson,
Stephanie A. Malin, Lori Peek, and David N. Pellow
Welcome to the Handbook of Environmental future research agenda and an action-oriented
Sociology. This volume offers a comprehensive approach to inform readers how to use environ-
overviewofenvironmentalsociology,whilealso mentalsociology’smajorlessonstohelpsupport
endeavoringtoexpandthepublicrelevanceofthe pathways to more sustainable, just, and demo-
field. Given the fundamental and timely lessons cratic futures. This work is relevant for public
of environmental sociology, we are excited to policy, people’s lives, and the well-being of all
sharethemajorfindingsofleadingscholarswork- species.
ing in this area. As a whole, their research Formallyestablishedin1976withthecreation
provides a roadmap to help us navigate this oftheAmericanSociologicalAssociation(ASA)
moment of great global uncertainty, marked by SectiononEnvironmentalSociology,thesubdis-
climate change and disaster, natural resource ciplinehasmaturedandevolvedoverthedecades
depletion, pandemic, and record levels of eco- (for overviews see, Buttel, 1987; Catton &
nomic inequality. The chapters presented here Dunlap, 1978; Dietz et al., 2020; Dunlap &
focus on communicating the major insights of Michelson,2001;Pellow&Brehm,2013).Envi-
environmental sociology, while also setting a ronmental sociology has grown from a series of
conversations and debates among a relatively
small group of scholars in the U.S. to its present
B.S.Caniglia statusasadiverseandvibrantglobalcommunity
TheSolutionsJournal,NewOrleans,LA,USA
producing new knowledge, training new
A.Jorgenson generations of students and professionals, and
DepartmentofSociologyandEnvironmentalStudies
inspiring action across multiple scales (Legun
Program,BostonCollege,ChestnutHill,MA,USA
et al., 2020a, 2020b; Redclift & Woodgate,
e-mail:[email protected]
2010; White, 2004). Through the years, the sub-
S.A.Malin
fieldhasincreasinglyinfluencedresearchers,pol-
DepartmentofSociology,ColoradoStateUniversity,Fort
Collins,CO,USA icy makers, and civil society on every continent
e-mail:[email protected] andineverysector(Laska,1993).
L.Peek Environmental sociology has grown by leaps
DepartmentofSociologyandNaturalHazardsCenter, and bounds, with scholars producing impactful
UniversityofColoradoBoulder,Boulder,CO,USA
research that appears in leading generalist and
e-mail:[email protected]
interdisciplinary journals and as research
D.N.Pellow(*)
monographs published by prestigious university
EnvironmentalStudiesProgram,UniversityofCalifornia
presses. The subdiscipline has experienced
SantaBarbara,SantaBarbara,CA,USA
e-mail:[email protected] remarkableinternalgrowth,whilesimultaneously
#TheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicensetoSpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2021 1
B.SchaeferCanigliaetal.(eds.),HandbookofEnvironmentalSociology, HandbooksofSociologyand
SocialResearch,https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77712-8_1
2 B.S.Canigliaetal.
creating and strengthening bridges with other richly textured understanding of the nuances of
subfields within sociology such as criminology, the subject area. In this way, this volume will
sociology of development, women and gender serve as an overview and introduction for
studies, racial and ethnic studies, collective students of the field, as well as an insightful
behavior and social movements, and global and treatment that experts can use in their own
transnational sociology. Equally important, great researchandpublications.
strides have been made to bring environmental In working with the authors to develop their
sociology into interdisciplinary conversations chapters,wewereespeciallyinterestedinadvanc-
concerning the study of socio-environmental ing areas of environmental sociology that offer
relationships—aligning environmental the most generative frameworks for explaining
sociologists with scholars and researchers work- and responding to today’s pressing socio-
ing in public health, epidemiology, climate sci- environmental problems. What sets this volume
ence,politicalscience,geography,anthropology, apart from most environmental sociology
urban planning, law, civil engineering, and vari- collections is our emphasis on much-needed
ous other scientific and applied disciplines and interventions that respond to the environmental
fields(Jorgensonetal.,2019). impacts of social inequalities. To achieve this
Environmentalsociologycoursesarenowreg- goal, authors have identified various social fault
ularly taught at the undergraduate and graduate lines—suchasthosebasedonrace,class,gender,
levelatcollegesanduniversitiesaroundtheworld andgeographiclocation—thatoftentranslateinto
as part of disciplinary curricula. They are also environmental conflict and deepen pre-existing
offeredasfoundationalcoursesforinterdisciplin- injustices. From there, many of the contributors
ary programs, suchas environmental studies and havebeguntoadvancewhatPrasad(2018)refers
sustainability studies. As global and regional toasavisionforproblem-solvingsociology.
environmental crises continue to unfold, and From the outset, our collective goal has been
youthtakealeadingroleinadvocatingforclimate to provide an overview of environmental sociol-
justice, demand for these classes only continues ogy that takes significant heed of the nexus of
torise. environmentaldegradationandstructuralinequal-
ity. The importance of inequality and power is a
central theme across much of the discipline of
Broader Contributions sociology. However, environmental sociology
has tended to relegate attention to inequality to
This Handbook of Environmental Sociology thesubfieldtoenvironmentaljusticeorthestudy
brings together a spectrum of emerging scholars ofdisastersorclimatechange.Inthisvolume,we
and leading thinkers in the field to present have endeavored to unify scholarship that
chapters that define the contours and further examinestheroleofinequalityatmultiplescales
pushthe boundaries ofenvironmental sociology. across the realm of environmental sociology. As
As editors, we asked the contributors to provide such,readerswillfindchaptersthatfocusnotonly
historical, theoretical, and methodological con- ontheways thatracial,ethnic,gender,andother
text for their chapters. This means that we positionalities predict personal environmental
encouraged authors to look to the past to help outcomes, but also on how organizations,
identify what is already well established. This institutions,andsocio-ecologicalsystemschannel
processhasclarifiedgapsandallowedtheauthors environmentalharmsandbenefits.Thisemphasis
toenvisionwhatissues,questions,andneedswill is intentional, and we hope this collection will
bemostpressinginthefuture. provide guidance to public and private sector
We convened a group of contributors whose decision-makers who wish to foster justice and
work and outlooks are broad and deep to ensure equity—which are necessary to advance
that each chapter provides a thorough, yet con- sustainability goals—in the communities and
cise,overviewoftheselectedtopic,alongwitha organizations that they lead. We also believe
1 Introduction:ATwenty-FirstCenturyPublicEnvironmentalSociology 3
these chapters will be helpful to members of the broaderpolicymaking.Ifwearetomovetoward
public who are engaged in these issues, or who more resilient futures, this century will need to
wishtobecomeso. see not just more scholarly publications from
This collection is further distinguished by its environmental sociologists, but more scholarly
emphasis on the implications and elements of leadership in major social and institutional
praxis that can lessen or resolve environmental spheres of influence. The work included in this
problems through addressing their biophysical, volume can facilitate reasoned and evidence-
political-economic, and socio-cultural causes informed choices that can advance collective
and outcomes. In that regard, this book reflects socialandenvironmentalwell-being.
ourcommitmentnotonlytopolicy-relevantsoci- This volume also features writings that will
ology, but to public sociology. When he was appeal to a multidisciplinary audience. While
President of the ASA, Michael Burawoy et al. almostalloftheauthorsaresociologistsbytrain-
(2004: 104) defined public sociology as a “soci- ing, most of them have extensive experience
ology that seeks to bring sociology to publics workingacrossdisciplinaryborderswithscholars
beyond the academy, promoting a dialogue from a range of other fields both within and
aboutissuesthataffectthefateofsociety,placing outsidethesocialsciences.Manyoftheenviron-
the values to which we adhere under a micro- mentalissuesidentifiedinthisHandbookrequire
scope.” Three decades earlier, Alfred McClung thecollaboration ofmultidisciplinaryorinterdis-
Lee served as the ASA President and wrote that ciplinary teams working from a convergence
“The great challenge of social science is the research framework to fully characterize and
development and wide dissemination of social respond to the threats at hand (Peek et al.,
wisdom...” (Lee, 1973: 6). Given the enormity 2020b). Another hallmark of this book is that
ofwhatisatstakeforhumankindandtheEarth— we have brought together scholars who are used
with regard to anthropogenic climate change in to traversing a wide range of epistemologies,
particular and environmental risks across a wide methodologies, and ontologies which is also a
spectrum—the importance of sharing sociologi- hallmark of sociology and the social sciences
calknowledgewiththepublicisparamounttoall more broadly (Frailing & Brown, 2020; Peek
of our survival. The recent global COVID-19 et al., 2020a). In other words, we’ve assembled
pandemicand theasymmetric social impacts has a group of scholars whose contributions reflect a
broughtthatpointintosharpanddeadlyrelief. rich diversity of concepts, theories, ways of
Extending Burawoy and Lee’s ideas, one of knowing,andresearchapproaches.
our goals with this volume is to help promote a Theauthorlineuppurposelyincludesamixof
new form of public environmental sociology. more seasoned academics as well as rising next
While environmental sociology has experienced generation scholars in the field. Regardless of
measured success in influencing policy makers career stage, however, all have made important
andwithinacademiccircles,weaimforthisvol- contributions in their particular area, or areas, of
ume to begin making the sub-field even more environmental sociology. The chapters in this
accessible to members of the public, so that the volume were peer-reviewed by leading experts,
research can influence public discourses and andoneormore editors helped toshepherdeach
inform policy (also see Jorgenson, 2018; Picou, chapter through the process. In the end, many
2008). Why not see environmental sociologists people contributed generously to the content in
consulted on the nightly news alongside thisvolume.
economists and legal analysts, for example? Or
consider, why aren’t environmental sociologists
tapped to lead major environmental agencies? Major Themes Across Chapters
Sociologists have the methodological skill sets,
theoretical lenses, and institutional knowledge The Handbook speaks to several themes in soci-
that could help inform public opinion and shape ology that are of enduring interest and part of
