Environment and Society: Concepts and Challenges (Palgrave Studies in Environmental Sociology and Policy)

This book offers a critical analysis of core concepts that have influenced contemporary conversations about environment-society relations in academic, political, and civil circles. Considering these conceptualizations are currently shaping responses to environmental crises in fundamental ways, critical reflections on concepts such as the Anthropocene, metabolism, risk, resilience, environmental governance, environmental justice and others, are well-warranted. Contributors to this volume, working across a multitude of areas within environmental social science, scrutinize underlying worldviews and assumptions, asking a common set of key questions: What are the different concepts able to explain? How do they take into account society-environment relations? What social, cultural, or geo-political biases and blinders are inherent? What actions or practices do the concepts inspire? The transdisciplinary engagement and reflexivity regarding concepts of environment-society relations represented in these chapters is needed in all spheres of society--in academia, policy and practice--not the least to confront current tendencies of anti-reflexivity and denialism.-- Provided by publisher Front Matter ....Pages i-xxxiii Introduction: Conceptualizing Environment-Society Relations (Magnus Boström, Debra J. Davidson)....Pages 1-24 The Anthropocene: A Narrative in the Making (Rolf Lidskog, Claire Waterton)....Pages 25-46 Metabolism (Debra J. Davidson)....Pages 47-70 Risk and Resilience (Marja Ylönen)....Pages 71-94 Global Environmental Networks and Flows Addressing Global Environmental Change (Peter Oosterveer)....Pages 95-118 The Environmental State and Environmental Governance (Arthur P. J. Mol)....Pages 119-142 Economic Valuation of the Environment (Steve Yearley)....Pages 143-165 Environmental Expertise (Rolf Lidskog, Göran Sundqvist)....Pages 167-186 The Practice of Green Consumption (Emily Huddart Kennedy, Darcy Hauslik)....Pages 187-206 Minding the Mundane: Everyday Practices as Central Pillar of Sustainability Thinking and Research (Henrike Rau)....Pages 207-232 Environmental Justice (J. Timmons Roberts, David Pellow, Paul Mohai)....Pages 233-255 Environmental Democracy: Participation, Deliberation and Citizenship (Frank Fischer)....Pages 257-279 Joining People with Things. The Commons and Environmental Sociology (Luigi Pellizzoni)....Pages 281-304 Spatial Frames and the Quest for Institutional Fit (C. S. A. (Kris) van Koppen, Simon R. Bush)....Pages 305-326 Conflicting Temporalities of Social and Environmental Change? (Stewart Lockie, Catherine Mei Ling Wong)....Pages 327-350 Conclusions: A Proposal for a Brave New World of Conceptual Reflexivity (Magnus Boström, Debra J. Davidson, Stewart Lockie)....Pages 351-373 Back Matter ....Pages 375-394