Principles of Environmental sciences
ESA20806
Lectures – learning material, combined with notes
Part 2 – Social Sciences
Anneli Janzer
,Content
Lecture 1 – Social sciences and the environment .............................................................................. 1
1. Social science disciplines ........................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Sociology .................................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Policy science/political science ................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Economics ............................................................................................................................... 1
1.4 Psychology ............................................................................................................................... 1
2. Environment and social sciences in DPSIR .............................................................................. 1
3. Social science definitions .......................................................................................................... 2
3.1 double heritage of environmental sociology .............................................................................. 2
3.2 Examples of applications of general social science topics on environment ................................ 2
4. Institutions and Institutionalization .......................................................................................... 2
4.1 Laws, codes and customs as institutions.................................................................................... 3
4.2 Organizations as institutions ..................................................................................................... 3
5. The normative character of sciences ......................................................................................... 3
6. Issues of power and inequality .................................................................................................. 3
7. Key concepts ............................................................................................................................ 4
7.1 Example of MC question .......................................................................................................... 4
7.2 Example of an open question ................................................................................................... 4
Lecture 2 – The rise of environmental concern................................................................................. 5
1. Four waves of environmental concern ...................................................................................... 5
2. (1) The wave of Nature Protection (US) ................................................................................... 6
3. (2) “The Green Wave” and its institutionalization in policy (late 1960s – mid-1970s) ................ 6
3.1 Institutionalization of environmental science, education and policy .......................................... 7
4. (3) Mid-1980s – Early 1990s ..................................................................................................... 7
4.1 Shifts in environmental policy ................................................................................................... 7
5. (4) Late 1990s to mid-2000s ...................................................................................................... 8
5.1 Characteristics .......................................................................................................................... 8
6. And now… a new wave? .......................................................................................................... 9
7. Key Concepts ........................................................................................................................... 9
7.1 Example of MC question .......................................................................................................... 9
7.2 Example of an open question ................................................................................................... 9
Lecture 3 – Policy and stakeholders (nacharbeiten!) ...................................................................... 10
1. The policy cycle model ........................................................................................................... 10
1.1 Agenda setting ........................................................................................................................ 10
1.1.1 The case of ozone depletion: agenda setting ..................................................................... 10
, 1.2 policy formulation .................................................................................................................. 10
1.2.1 Three main sorts of policy instruments (toolbox for policy design) .................................. 10
1.3 Policy adaption ....................................................................................................................... 11
1.4 Policy implementation and evaluation ..................................................................................... 11
1.5 Ozone depletion: policy formulation, decision-making, implementation ................................. 11
2. Other models of policy making ............................................................................................... 11
2.1 Interactive policy making ........................................................................................................ 11
3. Development of climate change policy ................................................................................... 12
4. Trend: from government and hierarchical policy to governance and network policies ............. 13
5. Related trend: participation (of stakeholders whose interests are affected)............................... 13
6. Stakeholders ........................................................................................................................... 13
6.1 Stakeholders in environmental policies ................................................................................... 13
7. Intermezzo: civil society ......................................................................................................... 13
7.1 Civil society, definition ........................................................................................................... 14
8. Participatory policy processes ................................................................................................. 14
8.1 Potentials ................................................................................................................................ 14
8.2 Pitfalls .................................................................................................................................... 14
8.3 The “participation ladder” ...................................................................................................... 14
9. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 14
9.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 15
9.2 Example of an open question ................................................................................................. 15
Lecture 4 – Cultural explanations of environmental degradation ................................................... 16
1. A simple model for Drivers: IPAT.......................................................................................... 16
1.1 Population .............................................................................................................................. 16
1.2 Technology: Jevons’ paradox .................................................................................................. 16
2. Culture and Structure as two dimensions of societies .............................................................. 17
2.1 Social origins of environmental problems: multi-causality vs. fundamental causes ................... 17
3. Cultural approaches ................................................................................................................ 17
3.1 Lynn White’s thesis on western religion .................................................................................. 17
3.2 Deep ecology and ecocentrism ............................................................................................... 18
3.2.1 A very short survey .......................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Consumer culture ................................................................................................................... 19
4. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 20
4.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 20
4.2 Example of open question ...................................................................................................... 20
Lecture 5 – Structural explanations of environmental degradation ................................................ 21
1. The “Treadmill of Production” Theory .................................................................................. 21
, 1.1 The treadmill mechanism ........................................................................................................ 21
1.2 ToP as a “classical” Marxist theory ......................................................................................... 21
2. The Counterproductivity School 8Neo-marxism and Romanticism) ....................................... 21
2.1 Industrial growth, happiness, and environmental degredation ................................................. 22
2.2 The CP approach and the environmental movement .............................................................. 22
3 Modernity ............................................................................................................................... 23
3.1 Targets of structural factor theories ........................................................................................ 23
4 Ecological Modernization Theory ........................................................................................... 23
4.1 Three core features of ecological modernization ..................................................................... 23
4.2 Industrial society theories on the dynamics of technology-induced changes ............................ 24
4.3 The environmental innovation wave (Huber) .......................................................................... 24
4.4 “Ecological rationality”: tools and development ...................................................................... 24
5. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 26
5.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 26
5.2 Example of open question ...................................................................................................... 26
Lecture 6 – Social dimensions of environmental impacts............................................................... 27
1. Risk and risk assessment: conventional “science-based” approach .......................................... 27
2. Framing .................................................................................................................................. 27
2.1 Lakoff’s advice on communicating environmental risks (e.g. climate change) .......................... 27
3. Risk society (according to Beck) ............................................................................................. 28
3.1 Environmental risks in “Simple” and reflexive modernity ....................................................... 28
3.2 Conclusion: How to deal with environmental risks in the 21st century? ................................... 28
4. Development of socio-cultural values in the West: the “Arcadian tradition” ........................... 30
4.1 Nature values in Western nature conservation ........................................................................ 30
4.2 Many other traditions of cultural valuation.............................................................................. 31
4.3 Conclusion: How to deal with values of .................................................................................. 31
5. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 31
5.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 31
5.2 Example of open question ...................................................................................................... 31
Lecture 7 – Micro-level approaches to environmentally relevant behaviour .................................. 32
1. Macro-level vs micro-level social theory.................................................................................. 32
1.1 Changing the behaviour of citizens/consumers ...................................................................... 32
2. Attitude-Behaviour approach .................................................................................................. 32
2.1 Research conducted within AB-Approach .............................................................................. 33
2.1 Results from AB research: the attitude-behaviour gap ............................................................. 33
3. Rational choice approach ........................................................................................................ 34
3.1 Critique on AB approach from RC approach .......................................................................... 34
ESA20806
Lectures – learning material, combined with notes
Part 2 – Social Sciences
Anneli Janzer
,Content
Lecture 1 – Social sciences and the environment .............................................................................. 1
1. Social science disciplines ........................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Sociology .................................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Policy science/political science ................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Economics ............................................................................................................................... 1
1.4 Psychology ............................................................................................................................... 1
2. Environment and social sciences in DPSIR .............................................................................. 1
3. Social science definitions .......................................................................................................... 2
3.1 double heritage of environmental sociology .............................................................................. 2
3.2 Examples of applications of general social science topics on environment ................................ 2
4. Institutions and Institutionalization .......................................................................................... 2
4.1 Laws, codes and customs as institutions.................................................................................... 3
4.2 Organizations as institutions ..................................................................................................... 3
5. The normative character of sciences ......................................................................................... 3
6. Issues of power and inequality .................................................................................................. 3
7. Key concepts ............................................................................................................................ 4
7.1 Example of MC question .......................................................................................................... 4
7.2 Example of an open question ................................................................................................... 4
Lecture 2 – The rise of environmental concern................................................................................. 5
1. Four waves of environmental concern ...................................................................................... 5
2. (1) The wave of Nature Protection (US) ................................................................................... 6
3. (2) “The Green Wave” and its institutionalization in policy (late 1960s – mid-1970s) ................ 6
3.1 Institutionalization of environmental science, education and policy .......................................... 7
4. (3) Mid-1980s – Early 1990s ..................................................................................................... 7
4.1 Shifts in environmental policy ................................................................................................... 7
5. (4) Late 1990s to mid-2000s ...................................................................................................... 8
5.1 Characteristics .......................................................................................................................... 8
6. And now… a new wave? .......................................................................................................... 9
7. Key Concepts ........................................................................................................................... 9
7.1 Example of MC question .......................................................................................................... 9
7.2 Example of an open question ................................................................................................... 9
Lecture 3 – Policy and stakeholders (nacharbeiten!) ...................................................................... 10
1. The policy cycle model ........................................................................................................... 10
1.1 Agenda setting ........................................................................................................................ 10
1.1.1 The case of ozone depletion: agenda setting ..................................................................... 10
, 1.2 policy formulation .................................................................................................................. 10
1.2.1 Three main sorts of policy instruments (toolbox for policy design) .................................. 10
1.3 Policy adaption ....................................................................................................................... 11
1.4 Policy implementation and evaluation ..................................................................................... 11
1.5 Ozone depletion: policy formulation, decision-making, implementation ................................. 11
2. Other models of policy making ............................................................................................... 11
2.1 Interactive policy making ........................................................................................................ 11
3. Development of climate change policy ................................................................................... 12
4. Trend: from government and hierarchical policy to governance and network policies ............. 13
5. Related trend: participation (of stakeholders whose interests are affected)............................... 13
6. Stakeholders ........................................................................................................................... 13
6.1 Stakeholders in environmental policies ................................................................................... 13
7. Intermezzo: civil society ......................................................................................................... 13
7.1 Civil society, definition ........................................................................................................... 14
8. Participatory policy processes ................................................................................................. 14
8.1 Potentials ................................................................................................................................ 14
8.2 Pitfalls .................................................................................................................................... 14
8.3 The “participation ladder” ...................................................................................................... 14
9. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 14
9.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 15
9.2 Example of an open question ................................................................................................. 15
Lecture 4 – Cultural explanations of environmental degradation ................................................... 16
1. A simple model for Drivers: IPAT.......................................................................................... 16
1.1 Population .............................................................................................................................. 16
1.2 Technology: Jevons’ paradox .................................................................................................. 16
2. Culture and Structure as two dimensions of societies .............................................................. 17
2.1 Social origins of environmental problems: multi-causality vs. fundamental causes ................... 17
3. Cultural approaches ................................................................................................................ 17
3.1 Lynn White’s thesis on western religion .................................................................................. 17
3.2 Deep ecology and ecocentrism ............................................................................................... 18
3.2.1 A very short survey .......................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Consumer culture ................................................................................................................... 19
4. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 20
4.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 20
4.2 Example of open question ...................................................................................................... 20
Lecture 5 – Structural explanations of environmental degradation ................................................ 21
1. The “Treadmill of Production” Theory .................................................................................. 21
, 1.1 The treadmill mechanism ........................................................................................................ 21
1.2 ToP as a “classical” Marxist theory ......................................................................................... 21
2. The Counterproductivity School 8Neo-marxism and Romanticism) ....................................... 21
2.1 Industrial growth, happiness, and environmental degredation ................................................. 22
2.2 The CP approach and the environmental movement .............................................................. 22
3 Modernity ............................................................................................................................... 23
3.1 Targets of structural factor theories ........................................................................................ 23
4 Ecological Modernization Theory ........................................................................................... 23
4.1 Three core features of ecological modernization ..................................................................... 23
4.2 Industrial society theories on the dynamics of technology-induced changes ............................ 24
4.3 The environmental innovation wave (Huber) .......................................................................... 24
4.4 “Ecological rationality”: tools and development ...................................................................... 24
5. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 26
5.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 26
5.2 Example of open question ...................................................................................................... 26
Lecture 6 – Social dimensions of environmental impacts............................................................... 27
1. Risk and risk assessment: conventional “science-based” approach .......................................... 27
2. Framing .................................................................................................................................. 27
2.1 Lakoff’s advice on communicating environmental risks (e.g. climate change) .......................... 27
3. Risk society (according to Beck) ............................................................................................. 28
3.1 Environmental risks in “Simple” and reflexive modernity ....................................................... 28
3.2 Conclusion: How to deal with environmental risks in the 21st century? ................................... 28
4. Development of socio-cultural values in the West: the “Arcadian tradition” ........................... 30
4.1 Nature values in Western nature conservation ........................................................................ 30
4.2 Many other traditions of cultural valuation.............................................................................. 31
4.3 Conclusion: How to deal with values of .................................................................................. 31
5. Key concepts .......................................................................................................................... 31
5.1 Example of MC question ........................................................................................................ 31
5.2 Example of open question ...................................................................................................... 31
Lecture 7 – Micro-level approaches to environmentally relevant behaviour .................................. 32
1. Macro-level vs micro-level social theory.................................................................................. 32
1.1 Changing the behaviour of citizens/consumers ...................................................................... 32
2. Attitude-Behaviour approach .................................................................................................. 32
2.1 Research conducted within AB-Approach .............................................................................. 33
2.1 Results from AB research: the attitude-behaviour gap ............................................................. 33
3. Rational choice approach ........................................................................................................ 34
3.1 Critique on AB approach from RC approach .......................................................................... 34
