The Contribution of Sociology to Our Understanding of Environmental Problem
Environmental problems have been growing alongside with human’s development for centuries, and the impact of human on the environment is getting greater by the matter of new inventions and technologies that keeps evolving to replace labor. When it gets to the point that we [human] realize that we cause those problems and are the one who is suffering from the consequences, we also realize that environmental problems is our problems. Because it is undeniable that human kind exists, or in the matter of fact, crucially relies on the nature world.
Then we realize that in order to solve environmental problems, it require serious social change, and that is where sociology steps in, because solving environmental problem cannot be done without prior understanding of how society works. Therefore, it is clear that environmental problems are in a matter of fact, social problems.
Many sociologists have analyzed aspects of the issue and come up with theory and concept that could explain this nature social relationship and how we contribute to the environment degradation problem. Such as ecological modernization theory which analyze how contemporary industrialized societies deal with environmental crisis, or the World-System theory.
The theory that will be discuss in this paper will be the Treadmill of Production theory which was developed and introduced around the same time as the ecological modernization but unlike ecological modernization which look into the transformation features in organizations and society which are paralleled by physical changes in tendencies of environmental degradation and material flows, and the change in role of science in science and technology which plays greater role in causing environmental problems and preventing those problems, the treadmill of production theory is about the economic élites that are increasingly dominate all aspects of society and the environment and will keep being that way unless they are restrain by grassroots social
Then we realize that in order to solve environmental problems, it require serious social change, and that is where sociology steps in, because solving environmental problem cannot be done without prior understanding of how society works. Therefore, it is clear that environmental problems are in a matter of fact, social problems.
Many sociologists have analyzed aspects of the issue and come up with theory and concept that could explain this nature social relationship and how we contribute to the environment degradation problem. Such as ecological modernization theory which analyze how contemporary industrialized societies deal with environmental crisis, or the World-System theory.
The theory that will be discuss in this paper will be the Treadmill of Production theory which was developed and introduced around the same time as the ecological modernization but unlike ecological modernization which look into the transformation features in organizations and society which are paralleled by physical changes in tendencies of environmental degradation and material flows, and the change in role of science in science and technology which plays greater role in causing environmental problems and preventing those problems, the treadmill of production theory is about the economic élites that are increasingly dominate all aspects of society and the environment and will keep being that way unless they are restrain by grassroots social