Research proposal

SOCIOLOGY

Literature Review on the Role of sociology in Climate Change

RENJU PETER

6587690

2

The issue of climate change is not a new thing. Over the past few decades, there have

been rants, political debates, research, activism, and many other forms of campaigns that have

been used to create awareness of climate change. By definition, climate change refers to the

large-scale shifts in weather patterns for long periods of time. Climate change is brought about

by phenomena such as global warming that are driven by human emissions of greenhouse gasses.

Climate change debates have always been dominated by environmental scientists and other

specialists in environment and technology until 2008, when social scientist Constance Lever-

Tracy suggested that sociology as a discipline was also involved in the issue of climate change.

According to the scientist, social sciences were supposed to be more involved in the issue of

climate change if we are to wholesomely tackle this issue. More involvement of social scientists

in the issue of climate change ensures that the best possible solution to the issue is found out and

sustained (Lever-Tracy, 2011).

A meeting by climate change researchers and scientists took place in 2011. Their main

aim of this research was to discuss carbon markets and regulation of renewable energy,

experiences of a variety of environmental Non-Governmental Authorities while trying to push

for the issues of climate change, technological pathways towards the sustainability and slow

technology, the efficiency of policies towards climate change justice and campaigns for reform

of policies regarding climate change. This meeting discussed how policies should be reformed in

Australia to deal with the issue of climate change and how negotiations at an international level

can be initiated to reduce greenhouse gas concentration by different countries (Lucas, 2012).

Many countries are realizing the urgency and the need for climate change reforms. Many of the

effects that are brought about by climate change are not good, and as such, many discussions are

being held to come up with permanent solutions towards this problem.

3

There is a direct relationship- between human agents and climate change. Reviewed

theoretical emphasis on relationality, criticisms of theories of individualism and the use of

practice are proposed to tackle the issue of climate change. Researchers are proposing a need to

apply these theories in effecting change regarding climate change at a micro, macro and natural

social divisions (Jamieson, 2020). Through practice, we can leverage the knowledge of such

theories and other potential social science applications to ensure that good practices towards

climate change are effected and generalized. Boundary shifts between I and we will come in

handy to ensure that there is a widespread adaptation of the positive actions towards conservation

of the environment and thus climate change reforms globally.

As initially stated, much of the climate change activism has taken many forms. However,

most of the ideologies being spread have been politicized, with the opposition claiming

something different for the sake of politics. Citizens, voters, workers, people and societies have

had their interests, voices and views neglected when the talk for climate change comes on (Beck,

2010). We cannot fully mention climate change without the involvement of social sciences. It is

important to note that both the human and non-human aspects count when talking about the

environment.

If we include human beings in the environment, we must therefore see the importance of

sociology in finding feasible solutions to climate change. The people's views and interests have

to be considered when formulating and implementing policies regarding climate change. This is

because it is in the interest of such people that the reforms will work. These are also the people

who will work for hand in hand with the political agencies to ensure that there is reform on

climate change. Not including such people in the reforms creates a barrier to the success of

climate change reforms in the country.

4

From the persuasion that Constance Lever-Tracy placed on social scientists in 2008 to

become more involved in the issue of climate change, there has been a number of researches that

social scientists have done. Some researchers came up with a response to her regarding the

taking of interest in the issue of climate change by social scientists. They gave four tenets in

response to her call. First, the scientists claimed that several other reasons made social scientists

lack interest in the climate change discussion. Second, these researchers claimed that the

challenge to research climate change is that it is interdisciplinary and not multidisciplinary. This

makes it hard for anyone outside of the typical environmental science disciplines to gain access

to resources that will help them conduct a study relating to climate change.

Third, these researchers claim that constructivism's virtues also contribute to the lack of

interest in becoming more proactive in the issue of climate change. Initially, Constance Lever-

Tracy had suggested that climate change should be at the heart of sociology as a discipline.

However, the researchers give their final rersponse4 to her call by telling her that there would be

a number of prospects that would need consideration before venturing into such an enterprise (

Grundmann & Stehr, 2010).

These researchers' responses give us insights into the possible ways through which social

scientists can be included in the reforms against climate change. By making such adjustments as

making climate change debate multidisciplinary, we will be able to invite not only social

scientists but also other professionals into the discussions. Horizontal sharing of knowledge and

consolidation of ideas from different disciplines increases the likelihood of finding permanent

and sustainable solutions to the problem of climate change. Through such multidisciplinary

conventions, we are able to find out how best we can come up with solutions that favor every

sector of the economy.

5

One solution that has previously been aimed at reducing waste accumulation is the

recycling of waste. There have been rising concerns about the environmental and social impacts

of manufactured and industrial waste. The solutions to these problems do not lie in normal waste

disposal techniques like burning, burying, diluting or dumping. Many of these companies have

now come to realize that social science should be included if we are to find a permanent solution

to waste accumulation problems. Through sociology, environmentalists are able to find out how

cultural and political contexts shape the decision to positively or negatively reuse and recycle

materials. This research reveals the challenges of tat green manufacturing change. However, the

social science studies, answers to why best plans cannot translate to social realities are revealed

(Durant & Lucas, 2018).

Since social science researchers’ involvement in climate change, there has been a major

focus on a number of fields. Sociologists majorly study politics on its influence on the climate

change debates and activism. Global flows are also studied by sociologists to find out how

different geographical locations have impacted climate change. Economics and consumption are

important and are also a major focus of social scientists in studying climate change-related

issues. Finally, the public perceptions and the role of media in influencing climate change have

also been studied by scientists. Overall, reflections on social science's role in influencing climate

change have been the main role of social scientists when it comes to their studies (Koehrsen et

al., 2020).

One example of how social scientists study sociology in climate change is by studying

how people perceive global climate change. The social ambivalence concept has been used by

some researchers to explain the uncertainty that is brought about by juxtaposition between

preferences, expectations and contradictory values on climate change. By explaining the

6

perceptions that people have towards climate change, we can find solutions to challenges that

prevent the realization of some climate change reforms (Carolan, 2010).

Also, through the study of the sociology of loss, we can develop better solutions to

climate change. The sociology of loss does not focus on what needs to be sustained. Rather, it

focuses on those things that will disappear, those that do disappear and those that must disappear

because of climate change reforms. By understanding how climate change brings out a negative

change in our lives, social scientists can influence best practices to adopt to ensure that climate

change reforms have been implemented (Elliott, Rebecca, 2018).

Social scientists have also projected that climate change can be used in sociology through

academic sources. Research conducted on 11 best selling introductory books to sociology reveals

that there is little or no content regarding the environment and climate change. In most of the

reviewed books, environmental change was given the least priority and placed in the terminal

sections of the book with very little and, in most cases, incorrect descriptions. As a result, most

of the introductory academic material to sociology does not place weight on climate change as a

global concern. These researchers conclude that, if we are to ensure that more social scientists

take up the issue of climate change, we should free climate change from being a subsection of

subsection and incorporate it among the content areas of introductory sociology books (Liu &

Szasz, 2019).

7

References

Beck, U. (2010). Climate for change, or how to create a green modernity? Theory, Culture &

Society, 27(2-3), 254-266. Retrieved from

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0263276409358729

Carolan, M. (2010). Sociological ambivalence and climate change. Local environment, 15(4),

309-321. Retrieved from

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13549831003677662

Durant, D., & Lucas, A. (2018). Manufacturing a better planet: Challenges arising from the gap

between the best intentions and social realities. Recycling, 3(2), 17. Retrieved from

https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/3/2/17

Elliott, Rebecca. "The sociology of climate change as a sociology of loss." European Journal of

Sociology/Archives Européennes de Sociologie 59, no. 3 (2018): 301-337. Retrieved

from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-sociology-archives-

europeennes-de-sociologie/article/sociology-of-climate-change-as-a-sociology-of-

loss/B16D58EC8D7F9AEE3227A35F4A9A5E20

Grundmann, R., & Stehr, N. (2010). Climate change: What role for sociology? A response to

Constance Lever-Tracy. Current Sociology, 58(6), 897-910. Retrieved from

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0011392110376031

Jamieson, L. (2020). Sociologies of Personal Relationships and the Challenge of Climate

Change. Sociology, 54(2), 219-236. Retrieved from

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0038038519882599

8

Koehrsen, J., Dickel, S., Pfister, T., Rödder, S., Böschen, S., Wendt, B., ... & Henkel, A. (2020).

Climate change in sociology: Still silent or resonating? Current Sociology,

0011392120902223. Retrieved from

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0011392120902223

Lever-Tracy, C. (2011). Confronting climate change. Taylor & Francis.

Liu, J. C. E., & Szasz, A. (2019). Now Is the Time to Add More Sociology of Climate Change to

Our Introduction to Sociology Courses. Teaching Sociology, 47(4), 273-283. Retrieved

from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0092055X19862012

Lucas, A. R. (2012). The role of beyond zero emissions in the Australian climate debate.

Retrieved from https://ro.uow.edu.au/artspapers/1533/