SOC301

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3. Read Get Started to learn how the course will be delivered.
4. Look at the overview of the course.
5. Read the syllabus.

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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Environmental literally meaning, that which environs or surrounds is typically referred to in sociology as the social context in which the individual or group is located. Yet, sociologists have given little attention to the relationship between the natural environment (the physical world such as the air, water, and land) and society. Such physical aspects of our environment have been relegated to the realms of the physical sciences- biology, chemistry and physics. When sociologists have looked at the physical environment it has typically been with respect to the environmental movement or to a small number of statistical data sets and surveys regarding environmental attitudes, values and behaviors.
The central aim of this course is to explore the relationship between the natural environment and society. We will look at historical and contemporary ways of thinking about nature. We will pay particular attention to the historical and cultural factors that have lead us to regard nature as separate from the self and society and the effects such perceptions may have had on the natural environment. We will also examine the potential influences the physical world has had in shaping Western civilization. Furthermore we will explore the possible growth of an environmental consciousness and will assess the value of both consciousness-raising and structural change as means for addressing the human-produced ecological problems that plague our planet today.

Objectives:
1. To explore the relationship between the “natural environment” and society.

2. To increase your knowledge of Environmental Theory and the Environmental Movement and to explore the relationship between theory and practice.

3. To understand how you personally perceive the environment and how that perception influences the actions you take with regard to the environment.

Modules

Environment and Society is divided into 6 modules. To complete the course successfully, complete the modules in the order shown below:

1. Introduction to Environment and Society
2. The Issues at Stake
3. Environmental Perspectives
4. Environmental Justice
5. The Environmental Movement
6. Conclusion

E-mail Janine Minkler at Janine.Minkler@nau.edu
Call Janine Minkler at (928) 523-7482

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