Nearly all of the major perspectives, focal points and debates in environmental sociology are reflected in this collection of essays. The volume exceeds the bounds of conventional theory by surveying societies and their natural biophysical environments.

This book marks a watershed in the social sciences. The qualitative, critical perspective of sociology and allied disciplines challenges the technocentric `managerialism' which dominates environmental policy, its discourse and its impact. The authors explore the relationship between social theory and sustainability in an attempt to transend technical rhetoric and embrace a broader understanding of `nature'.

Written in an engaging and accessible manner by one of the leading scholars in his field, Environment and Social Theory, completed revised and updated with two new chapters, is an indispensable guide to the way in which the environment and social theory relate to one another. This popular text outlines the complex interlinking of the environment, nature and social theory from ancient and pre-modern thinking to contemporary social theorizing. John Barry: examines the ways major religions such as Judaeo-Christianity have and continue to conceptualize the environment analyzes the way the non-human environment features in Western thinking from Marx and Darwin, to Freud and Horkheimer explores the relationship between gender and the environment, postmodernism and risk society schools of thought, and the contemporary ideology of orthodox economic thinking in social theorising about the environment. How humans value, use and think about the environment, is an increasingly central and important aspect of recent social theory. It has become clear that the present generation is faced with a series of unique environmental dilemmas, largely unprecedented in human history. With summary points, illustrative examples, glossary and further reading sections this invaluable resource will benefit anyone with an interest in environmentalism, politics, sociology, geography, development studies and environmental and ecological economics.

Risk and Social Theory in Environmental Managementmarks a timely contribution, given that environmental management is no longer just about protecting pristine ecosystems and endangered species from anthropogenic harm; it is about calculating and managing the risks to human communities of rapid environmental and technological change. First, the book provides a solid foundation of the social theory underpinning the nature of risk, then presents a rethinking of key concepts and methods in order to take more seriously the biophysical embeddedness of human society. Second, it presents a rich set of case studies from Australia and around the world, drawing on the latest applied research conducted by leading research institutions. In so doing, the book identifies the tensions that arise from decision making over risk and uncertainty in a contested policy environment, and provides crucial insights for addressing on-the-ground problems in an integrated way. * First volume to address environmental risk from a social science perspective * Latest theoretical developments * In depth case studies of contemporary issues (e.g. climate change, water shortages)

The third edition of John Hannigan’s classic undergraduate text has been fully updated and revised to highlight contemporary trends and controversies within global environmental sociology. Environmental Sociology offers a distinctive, balanced treatment of environmental issues, reconciling Hannigan’s much-cited model of the social construction of environmental problems and controversies with an environmental justice perspective that stresses inequality and toxic threats to local communities.

Acclaim for the first edition: 'The scope of the volume is vast and, overall, the Handbook amounts to an almost encyclopaedic reference text for scholars of environmental questions across the social sciences, be they in sociology, geography, political science or wherever.' – Neil Ward, Environmental Politics 'Each author writes with a distinctive style, yet the work flows well because the editors selected recognized scholars with outstanding credentials. Academic libraries, especially those serving a strong social science community, will find this work a worthwhile addition. Professors of sociology and environmental studies could use the essays for additional readings and reviews.' – Marjorie H. Jones, American Reference Books 'This International Handbook is an important addition to the growing concern and publication in the field of environmental sociology. Certainly any serious scholar in the field should find this edited reference work of interest. . .' – John J. Hartman, International Social Science Review This thoroughly revised Handbook provides an assessment of the scope and content of environmental sociology, and sets out the intellectual and practical challenges posed by the urgent need for policy and action to address accelerating environmental change. More than a decade has passed since the first edition of the Handbook was published to considerable acclaim, and environmental sociology has since become firmly established as a critical social science discipline. This second edition is a major interdisciplinary reference work comprising more than 25 original essays authored by leading scholars, many of whom are intimately involved in national, regional or global environmental policy processes. It marks some of the changes and continuities in the field of environmental sociology, and highlights today's substantive concerns and theoretical debates. The Handbook is divided into three parts covering concepts and theories, critical issues and international perspectives, each with an introduction outlining the content of the constituent chapters and cross-referencing some of the more significant themes that link them together. Authoritative and comprehensive, this Handbook will prove to be essential reading for academics, researchers and students across the social sciences who are interested in the environment. It will also be enthusiastically received by sustainable development policy-makers and practitioners.

This book shows that polemical environmental and ecological debates are governed not so much by access to 'facts' as they are by the political ideology of the expert advancing a particular argument. Moreover, the thoughts of these experts tend to be based largely in just one of three competing streams of political thought: the left, the center, or the right. Drawing on social theory, the author explains the philosophical origins of this tendency to rely on just one of three traditions, and why this poses a serious obstacle to conceptualizing the cause, nature, and resolution of environmental problems.