Environment and Society

This course examines the intersection between the environment and social structures and institutions. It is centered around environmental sociology, environmental justice, and environmental health. We cover climate change, risk perception and risk communication, environmental consciousness and environmental movements, government regulation, lay-professional differences in scientific knowledge, and various forms of toxic contamination and environmental disasters. Readings are very broad, including work of sociologists, physicians, biologists, journalists, epidemiologists, activists, toxicologists, lawyers, and anthropologists. This course has a required service learning component. Enrollment limited to 19 first year students.