Viewpoints and Comments ‘Environment’ in Sociological Theory

part of sociology curriculum at the post-graduate and under-graduate 

levels. It could include the following themes among others: the changing 

human-nature relationship in history and the role of science and 

technology; perspectives on environment/ecology and society in 

sociology and anthropology including the recent contributions of social 

science theorists on the nature and causes of environmental degradation 

in modern society; environmental  critique of development; gender and 

environment; and environmental politics/movements. With specific 

reference to India, emphasis could be laid on the nature and impact of 

environmental degradation in colonial and post-colonial contexts; 

traditional systems of resource management; depletion of resources and 

its effect on local communities; environmental struggles/conflicts; recent 

experiments at resource management by the local communities/groups, 

and social and environmental impact of development projects.

 

Notes

 

1.  It may be of interest to note that the hostility of 'green' writers to socialism tends to 

focus on the disastrous environmental record of the socialist societies of Eastern 

Europe. The Marxist tradition is widely condemned for its 'productivist'  values. A 

widespread tendency among these writers is to represent ecological politics as  

transcending the whole traditional opposition of left and right in politics. Both are 

seen  to  be dedicated  to  industrial  growth,  to  the  expansion  of the  means  of 

production, to materialistic ethnic as the best means of meeting people's needs, and to 

unimpeded technological development. For an ecologist, the debate between the 

protagonists of capitalism and communism is irrelevant.

 

Among the writers who believe that ecological perspective is compatible with a 

wide range of social and political ideologies, that the link between socialism and 

ecology is not obvious but has to be forced are B. Commoner, Andre Gorz, R. Bahro. 

Attempts have also been made to synthesise ecology with other political perspectives 

such as anarchism and feminism. The works of M. Bookchin are widely known for 

the former view whereas the classic work by Carolyn Merchant represents the latter 

view(Benton 1989:52).

 

2.  Philip Lowe and David Morrison highlight the role of mass media in popularising

 

environmental issues. The media have responded so enthusiastically due to the

 

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overly moral as opposed to political nature of the arguments raised. Though 

environmental protests do not necessarily express complaint against capitalist 

system, it is often a complaint against capital's performance and has the potential to 

become a full blown attack against capitalism. They highlight the role of the media 

in providing information critical of industrialism, to question science's achievements 

and thus raise doubts about industrial structures which science iegitimates(Lowe and 

Morrison 1984:75).

 

3.    Bob Sutcliffe suggests that the two terms 'human' and 'sustainable development' 

can be combined into 'sustainable human development'. 'Human Development' 

means a process of social and economic change whose main motive is to produce a 

radical improvement in the material and cultural standard of living of people now 

suffering deprivation. "Sustainable development' can be defined as changes in 

human materials activities which radically lessen the depletion of  non-renewable 

resources and the harmful pollution of the environment, which lengthens the time 

over which human material needs can be met. Sutcliffe develops an argument that 

there is no logical reason why these two should not be combined(Sutcliffe 

1995:244).

 

References

 

 

Agarwal, Bina. 1986. Cold hearths and barren slopes: The woodfuel crisis in the Third

 

World. Delhi: Allied Publishers.

 

Agarwal, Bina.   1991. Engendering the environment debate: Lessons from the Indian

 

subcontinent.  CASID distinguished speaker series No.8.  Michigan:  Michigan

 

State University.

 

Agarwal, Bina.  1997. 'Environment action, gender equity and women's participation',

 

Development and Change, 28.

 

Arnold, David and Ramchandra Guha(eds.). 1994. Nature, culture, imperialism: Essays

 

in the environmental history of South Asia. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

 

Baviskar, Amita. 1995. In the belly of the river: Tribal conflict over development in the

 

Narmada Valley. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

 

Beck, Ulrich. 1992. Risk society: Towards a new modernity. London: Sage Publications.

 

Beck, Ulrich. 1995. Ecological politics in an age of risk. London: Sage Publications.

 

Benton,   Ted.    1989.   'Marxism   and   natural   limits:   An   ecological   critique   and

 

reconstruction', New Left Review, No. 178.

 

Berreman, Gerald. 1989. 'Chipko: A movement to save the Himalayan environment and

 

people' in CM. Borden(ed.). Contemporary Indian traditions: Voices on culture,

 

nature and the challenge of change. Washington: Smithsonian.

 

Centre for Science and Education. 1982. The state of India's environment: A citizen's

 

report. New Delhi.

 

Centre for Science and Education.  1985. The state of India's environment: A second

 

citizen's report. New Delhi.

 

Chopra, Kanchan, Gopal Kadekodi and M.N. Murty. 1989.