Warren Wilson College

Environmental Sociology

SOCIOLOGY 271

TRF2 9.30-10.50 a.m.

Fall Semester 2002

 

Siti Kusujiarti, Ph.D.

Office : Jensen 109

Phone : 771-3703 (office); 296-8540 (home)

E-mail : skusujia@warren-wilson.edu

Office Hours: TRF2 11.00-12.00 or by appointment

 

Required Text:

1.       Humphrey, C.R.Tammy L. Lewis, Frederick Buttel. 2002. Environment, Energy, and Society. A New Synthesis. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth (HLB).

2.       Beder, S. 2002. Global Spin. The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism. White River Junction, VT: Green Books (SB).

3.       LaDuke, W. 1999. All Our Relations. Native Struggles for Land and Life. Cambridge, MA: South End Press (WL).

 

Additional Reading Material:

Students will be required to read these materials. Reading # 1 is available on line, readings #2 to # 9 are on reserve in the library.

 

1.       Dunlap, R.E. and William R. Catton. 1994. “Struggling with Human Exemptionalism: The Rise, Decline and Revitalization of Environmental Sociology.” The American Sociologist, 25 (1), p. 5-30.

This article is available on line through Academic Search Elite. (Reading 1). 8/29

2.       Buttel, F.H, Peter Dickens, Riley E. Dunlap, and August Gijswijt. (2002). “Sociological Theory and the Environment: An Overview and Introduction .” p. 3-31 in Riley E. Dunlap, Frederick H. Buttel, Peter Dickens, and August Gijswijt (eds.) Sociological Theory and the Environment. Classical Foundations, Contemporary Insights. Lanhan, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (Reading 2). 9/6

3.       Buttel, F.H. (2002). “Environmental Sociology and the Classical Sociological Tradition: Some Observations on Current Controversies.” p. 35-50 in Riley E. Dunlap, Frederick H. Buttel, Peter Dickens, and August Gijswijt (eds.) Sociological Theory and the Environment. Classical Foundations, Contemporary Insights. Lanhan, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (Reading 3). 9/6

4.       Glaeser, B. (1997). “Environment and Developing Countries.” In Redclift,M. and Woddgate,G.(eds.). The International Handbook of Environmental Sociology. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar. (Reading 4). 9/17

5.       Bell, M.M. (1998). “Money and Machine.” p. 65-101 in Michael Mayerfeld Bell. An Invitation to Environmental Sociology. Thosand oak, CA: Pine Forge. (Reading 5). 9/26

6.       Charlene Spretnak (1990). “Ecofeminism: Our Roots and Flowering.” p. 3-14 in Irene Diamond and Gloria Feman Orenstein (eds.). Reweaving the World. The Emergence of Ecofeminism. Sierra Club Books. (Reading 6). 10/17

7.       Ynestra King (1990). p. 106-121 in Irene Diamond and Gloria Feman Orenstein (eds.). Reweaving the World. The Emergence of Ecofeminism. Sierra Club Books. (Reading 7). 10/17

8.       Chapter 1 “The Environment as a Public Policy Issue” in Wells, D.T. Environmental Policy. Prentice Hall. 1996. (Reading 8). 11/21

9.       Chapter 2 “Institutions, Strategies , and Actors: The Context within Which Environmental Policy Occurs.” In Wells, D.T. Environmental Policy. Prentice Hall. 1996. (Reading 9). 11/21.

 

Course Description

One of the key concepts that we will encounter in this class is understanding dialog or interrelationship between natural and social environments. Human actions and ideas might shape and influence physical environment but natural environment provide settings, limitations, opportunities, and enable us to build up certain ideas and perceptions. This dialog is the focus of environmental sociology.  While a broad range of issues are covered, emphasis will be given to the development of environmental sociology, perspectives in environmental sociology, environmental justice, population, energy, hunger,  interrelationship between capitalism, materialism, and environmental problems, global environmental issues, and interconnection of environmental activism and environmental sociology.

 

Learning Objectives

This course will enable student to understand the interraction between natural and human environments, and to provide opportunity for students to apply their sociological perspectives on environmental issues. This course will help students understand the history of environmental sociology and its connection with environmental movements and other social phenomena. Critical understanding of paradigmatic changes and of capitalism will enable students to develop reflections on their academic and social experiences. In this class, students will have opportunity to make connection between their own experience, the impact of their action on the environment and understand environmental sociological concepts and paradigms from this course.

 

 Course Policies

              Decorum

There is no unrelated talking, reading of newspaper/magazines or books. Discussions and questions are conducted in scholarly manner. Some of the issues discussed in this class are often subject to debate. Because of this, you may sometimes find that you disagree with lectures, discussions, media presentations, and the opinions of other students in the class. It is very important that all students and the instructor receive respect from each person in the class. All remarks and questions will be addressed with this in mind. We will treat one another with respect and assume that we are all in this class for the same purpose: to learn about the relationship between individuals and society.

 

Please do not come to class late or leave class early without prior notification. If for some reason (i.e. doctor’s appt.) you must be late or leave class early, please let me know ahead of time.  If you do not do it, you will lose your attendance points.

No hats, pets, tobacco products in class.

 

Academic Dishonesty

Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitation of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course and will result in the failure of this course and a report to the Dean of the College. The academic or intellectual honesty policy applies in this course is in accordance to the Warren Wilson College Handbook policy.  The handbook states that:

Cheating on examinations or quizzes, forging signatures, turning in work which is wholly or in part not the student’s own original work, and using ideas …. Writings, or other material without clearly and accurately giving credit to the originator are all reprehensible forms of dishonesty in a scholarly society …..It is the responsibility of each student to make certain that her or his actions during an examination or in the or in the performance of some work that is supposed to be original can not be misinterpreted and thus expose her or him to suspicion or compromise. A student who knowingly allows others to copy or use her or his work is also culpable.

 

Late Work

Late work will be penalized. Unexcused late work will be penalized 3 point for each day late. This includes weekend. Computer problems are not acceptable excuses. If you have to miss a class during the assignment due date, please turn them in early. Being absent on a date that paper is due will not preclude from penalty. Submitting paper over e-mail (attachment) is not accepted.

 

                Accommodating Special Needs

If you have a learning disability and might require special accommodations at any time in this course, it is your responsibility to inform me during the first week of classes.  Documentation of your learning disability must be on file with Cathy Clark, Assistant Dean of Student Life.  Requirements for disability documentation can be found on the Warren Wilson Internet site.  To access the information, go to the WWC internet site, click on "Resources", and then "Campus Life," and finally "Accommodations."

 

 

 

Requirements

               

                Attendance and Participation (30 points and 20 points)

Class attendance is required. Attendance and class participation are extremely important to be successful in this class. Students are required to read all of the assigned chapters. I will randomly take attendance 15 times. Each attendance day will be worth 2 points (total of 30 points). There will be several class discussions and students are required to participate and contribute in the discussion, if you are not in the class you will loose several points from class discussion and participation. Class participation and contribution in discussion are worth 20 points. Active participation in class is required, students should engage in class discussion and contribute their opinion to the class.

                Quizzes (80 points)

There will be 8 quizzes throughout the semester. The quizzes are based on reading materials and class discussions. Each of the quiz is worth 10 points. No make up quiz will be given unless you have an emergency and has proper documentation to support it.

Assignments

1.       Assignment on individual reflection and theoretical paradigms (assignment 1) (50 points)

2.       Assignment 2: Green Advertisement or Census and Population (50 points)

3.       Assignment 3: Research on Front Groups or Community Involvement (50 points)

4.       Assignment 4: Warren Wilson Greening Policy or Research on Warren Wilson  Environmental Conscience(50 points)

                Fieldtrip and Fieldtrip Report (50 points)

The class will have a fieldtrip to Earthaven, an ecovillage south of Black Mountain. Each student is required to go to the fieldtrip and write a reflection paper (at least 3 pages) based on the fieldtrip.

                Final Paper (90 points for the paper and 10 points for Outline) and Presentation (50 points)

Each student is required to make a class presentation and write a final paper based on the topic he/she choose. The topic should deal with sociological aspect of environmental issues. The presentation should last 12-15 minutes and the paper should be 8-10 pages, double spaced.

 

Grading

Presentation                                                             50  points                                        

Attendance                                                                     30  points

Participation                                                                20  points

Assignment 1                                                           50  points

Assignment 2                                                           50  points

Assignment 3                                                           50  points

Assignment 4                                                           50 points

Quizzes                                                                    80 points

Outline paper                                                           10  points

Final paper                                                              90  points

Fieldtrip and fieldtrip report                                       50  points

MAXIMUM POINTS                                              530  points

 

Grades for this course will be based on the following distribution:

 

A              91%-100%                      C                71%-80%                       

                                                                                F   below 60%

B              81%-90%                        D                60%-70%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Schedule (Soc 271)

TRF2  9.30-10.50 a.m. (Subject to change with notice)

 

August 27(T)                                           Introduction to the course                                         Syllabus

Topic 1: What is Environmental Sociology?

 

August 29 ( R )                                        Exploring Environmental Sociology                 HLB, chapter 1                                                                                                                                                                 Reading 1

September 3 (T)                                      Social Theory and the Environment 1                         HLB, chapter 2

 

September 5 ( R )                                    Guest Lecture: Beth Bockoven from The Nature Conservancy

September 6 (F2)                                    Social Theory and the Environment 2                         Reading 2

                                                                                                                                                Reading 3

                               

Topic 2: Population, Hunger, Resources and The Environment

September 10 (T)                  Quiz 1                    

                                                                Population and the Environment                            HLB, chapter 3

                                                                Video: “Dodging Doomsday”                                                                             

September 12 (R)                                    Population Growth and Hunger                    HLB, chapter 4

                                                                Video: “The Business of Hunger”

                                                                Assignment 1 Due

 

September 14 (Saturday)                Visit to Earthaven

                                                               

September 17 (T)                                    Environment, Development and                          Reading 4

                                                                Global Environmental Politics

                                                                Video “Seeds of Plenty, Seeds of Sorrow”

September 19 ( R )                                  Energy and the Environment                                            HLB, chapter 5                                                                                 Video: “Strip Mining: Energy, Environment and Economics                                                                                                               or “Lovins on the Soft Path”                (tentative, if time permits)         

September 20 (F2)                                Quiz 2 and Field trip report due

                                                                Guest Lecture: Stan Cross (ELC)

                                                               

Topic 3: Treadmill of Consumption and Production, and the Environment

                                                               

September 24 ( T )                                  Consumption and Materialism                  SB, Chapter 10,11

September 26 ( R )                                  Money and Machines                                          Reading 5

                                                                Video: “Affluenza” (tentative)

Oct. 1 ( T )                                               Media and the Environment                                            SB, chapter 12and 13

                                                                Video:”Advertising and The End of the World”

                                                                or “The Myth of the Liberal Media”

Oct. 3( R )                                                Public Relations Strategy, Think-Tanks                            SB, ch. 2,5,7

                                                                and the Environment

Oct. 4 (F2)                                              Quiz 3 and Video “Free Trade Slaves”

 

Topic 4: Environmental Movement and Its Challenges

Oct. 8 (T)                                                Assignment 2 Due

                                                                The Environmental Movement:

                                                                Historical Roots and Current Trend                      HLB, ch. 6

Oct. 10 ( R )                                             Challenges: Internal and External                   SB, ch. 3,16,17

Oct. 15     (T)                                           Guest Lecture from Clean Air Campaign

Oct. 17     ( R )                                         Ecofeminism and Video                                           Reading 6 and 7

Oct. 18 (F2)                                            Quiz 4

                                                                Video “This Land is Our Land”/”Faces of Change, the Conservation

                                                                of Blue Wall/ “Global Village or Global Pillage”

Oct. 19-27                                               Fall Break

 

Topic 5: Sustainability and Sutainable Development

Oct. 29     ( T )                                         The Sociology of Sutainable Development                HLB, ch. 7

Oct. 31 ( R )                                             Guest Lecture Dr. Susan Kask

Nov. 5 ( T )                                             Quiz 5

                                                                Video “Conversation for Sustainable Society”/

                                                                Escaping from Affluenza

                                                                Assignment 3 due

 

Topic 6: Environmental Justice

Nov. 7     ( R )                                         Outline for final paper due

Environmental Justice                                                WL, introduction,

                                                                                Ch. 1 and 2

Nov. 8 (F2)                                             Video “We All Live Downstream”                           WL, ch. 3, 4

Nov. 12   (T)                                           Internal Colonialism                                              WL, ch. 5,9

Nov. 14   ( R )                                         Guest Lecture  Dr. John Bowman

Nov. 19   (T)                                           Quiz 6

                                                                Video: “The Kayapo: Out of the Forest”/

                                                                “This Land is Our Land”

 

Topic 7: Environmental Politics and Policy

Nov. 21 ( R )                                           Environmental Policy                                              Reading 8 and 9

Nov. 22 (F 2)                                          Video “War and Peace                                      SB, ch. 14 and 15

                                                                in the Nuclear Age”

Nov. 26 (T)                                             Quiz 7

                                                                Guest Lecture or video

                                                                Assignment 4 due

 

Nov. 27 to Dec. 1                                   Thanksgiving Break                            

 

Topic 8 : The Future of Environmental Sociology

Dec. 3 (T)                                                Environmental Sociology and Alternative

                                                                Environmental Future                                             HLB, ch. 8

Dec. 5 ( R )                                             Reflections on Warren Wilson Greening Policies

                                                Quiz 8

Dec. 6, 10, 12, 17, 19, 20                      Class Presentation

Dec. 10   (T)                                           Final paper due

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assignments and Presentation

 

General Requirements

Each assignment is worth 50 points and should be typed, double spaced, 12 point type, with one inch margins all around.

 

Assignment 1. Length: 4-5 pages (50 points). Personal Reflections, Social Theories and Environmental Sociology.

This assignment has two parts, you have to do both of them.

First Part:

Environmental sociology encompasses vast amount of information and topics. However, in general it explains interrelationship of :

a.       The Material: how consumption, the economy, technology, development, population, and biophysical resources shape our environmental situation

b.       The Ideal: how culture, ideology, moral values, and social experience influence the way we think about and act toward the environment.

c.       The Practical: how we might solve environmental conflicts, taking both the material and the ideal into account.

For this assignment, please reflect on your past experiences, pick at least 2 examples of your personal experiences or practices in which you can explain clearly the interconnection of the material, the ideal, and the practical.

Second Part:

On chapter 2, Humphrey, Lewis and Buttel (HLB) argue that there are three sociological paradigms in environmental sociology; conservative, managerial, and radical paradigms. They use tropical deforestation to explain how each of the paradigms analyze the issue (tropical deforestation). For this assignment please pick an issue such as global warming, green revolution in developing countries, population growth or any other issue that you are familiar with and analyze how each of the sociological paradigms (conservative, managerial, and radical) analyze the issue.  To help you in doing this assignment you can use references or videos in the library.

 

Assignment 2, 4-5 pages, 50 points.

 

Option 1: “Green Advertisement”

Sharon Beder indicates that green imagery is often used to sell products and caring for the environment became a marketing strategy.  Green advertsing has been used by industries to encourage people to buy more by suggesting that the consumers should buy a certain product because it is good for the environment (p. 176-177).  For this assignment you have to document and analyze at least 5 green advertisements from magazines, newspaper, or internet. First, you have to provide a copy  of the advertisements and the sources (date of publication and names of the magazines or newspaper). Second, write a detail description and analyses on why and how these advertisements may induce excesssive consumption and materialism.  And analyze how these advertisements mislead consumers into thinking that buying these products will help the environment or how advertisers try to suggest that the companies “care” about the environment . Third, how might you change the advertisements to reduce their negative impacts or misleading message.

 

Option 2: Census and Population

If you choose this option, you have to perform comparative analysis of Census 1990 and Census 2000 of Hickory Nut Gorge Area (particularly Rutherford county). You might focus your analysis on number of population, economic activities, education , migration etc. and support your analysis with references on the topic.

 

Assignment 3 (4-5 pages, 50 points)

Option 1: If you choose this option, you will have to use internet to find and explore a couple of web sites (at least 2 sites) of corporate “front groups.”  Sharon Beder points out that many large companies have or donate a lot of money to many “front groups.” The use of such “front group” enables corporations to take part in public debates and government hearing behind a cover of community concern. Examples of these “front groups” are The American Council on Science and Health, The Global Climate Coalition, The Alliance for Responsible CFC Policy.  Analyze the content of the web sites, who or what corporations are behind the organizations, and what messages they are trying to deliver. In order to have a good analysis, you will have to do some literature study or collect additional information (other than from web sites) about the organizations and their missions.

 

Option 2: Community Involvement and Activism

If you choose this option, you have to perform services or community involvement in organizations that are focusing on environmental issues. For example, involving in organizing community meeting for clean air act or volunteering for Food Not Bomb. You will have to attach a written proof of your volunteer work or community involvement. Write a reflection paper based on your experience and describe what organization or community activism you are involved in, what are the mission or goals of the organization, and other general information about the organization and its activities.

 

Assignment 4

Option 1: Environmental Conscience at Warren Wilson. Length 5 pages (50 points)

Let’s say you were an environmental  sociologist who were studying WWC students’attitude and behavior related to sustainability, environmental justice, environmental ethic and other environmetal concerns. Construct a one page questionnaire or interview guide to identify some of the values and practices (pertaining to environment) that are widely shared among the students at Warren Wilson. Also ask them about their involvement in various environmental groups or task forces. Then give the questionnaire to a sample of students (at least 5) or conduct an in-depth interview with them.

 

After you collect the information, write a general description and analyses. I have to approve your questionnaires or interview guide,please consult with me before doing the interview or survey. You have to attach your questionnaire or interview guide to your paper.

 

Option 2: Warren Wilson Greening Policies

If you choose this option check Warren Wilson’s greening policies at htt://www.warren-wilson.edu/green/index.html. Review the policies and interview at least one individual who is in charge of implementing the policies (members of the “green team”), ask her/him about the implementation of the policies, what are the challenges we face and what should we done to improve the policies and their implementation and any other questions pertaining to the greening policies that you want to ask. Also include in your paper, your own thought about the greening policies, any ideas or suggestions to improve and implement them better?

 

Final Paper.

First, you have to choose a topic pertaining to environmental issues and write an outline of your paper (1 page) (10 points).

Second, write an analytical and reflection paper (8-10 pages) (90 points). You have to support your argument with data, published articles in professional journals, books, and references from internet. You have to clearly indicate the source of your references, failure to do this might result in significant point reduction of your paper. You should also incorporate your own perspectives and reflection related to the topic.

 

b. Presentation (50 points)            

       Each student has to present their final paper for the class.

 

Extra Credit (maximum 10 points)

You will be able to earn up to 10 points of extra creadit by wrtiting 2 page of reflection paper based on your involvement or services in any community meeting, organizations, or campaigns pertaining to environmental issues. You have to attach a written proof of your involvement.