15.1 Sociological Perspectives on Population and the Environment
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Understand the perspectives that functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism offer on population and the environment.
As usual, the major sociological perspectives offer insights that help us understand issues relating to population growth and to the environment.summarizes their assumptions.
Table 15.1 Theory Snapshot
Theoretical perspective
Major assumptions
Functionalism
Population and the environment affect each other. Normal population growth is essential for any society, but population growth that is too great or too little leads to various problems. Environmental problems are to be expected in an industrial society, but severe environmental problems are dysfunctional.
Conflict theory
Population growth is not a serious problem because the world has sufficient food and other resources, all of which must be more equitably distributed. The practices of multinational corporations and weak regulation of these practices account for many environmental problems.
Symbolic interactionism
People have certain perceptions and understandings of population and environmental issues. Their social backgrounds affect these perceptions, which are important to appreciate if population and environmental problems are to be addressed.
