The Origin and Development of Environmental Sociology

Environmental sociology is proposed in a specific background and academic tradition. Its origin and development is analyzed here by a framework of what ,whyand how. ① Riley E. Dunlap and some other American scholars gave the definition of environmental sociology in 1978. Allan Schnaiberg used the metaphor of the Treadmill of Production to explain the environmental caused by capitalism, while Lyn White, Jr,traced American's historical root from Judeo-Christian tradition. The theory on risk society centers on the source of structure of environmental problems,while the theory on ecological modernization centers on solving the environmental problem. Constructionism then focuses on a new strategy to understand the process of the environmental problem. ② Based on Japanese environmental problems,Iijima and Funabashi analyze the multi-impacts of environmental pollution on society by proposing theories on the structures of victims of the environmental and the theories on victim groups and affected groups. Torigoe and other scholars propose life environmentalism to explain and to solve the water environmental of Biwa Lake. Funabashi applies the theory on environmental control systems to interpret the environmental and its solution process. ③ Being aware of the relationship between the livelihood of Chinese grassland husbandry,Fei and his team devote to application research on grassland degeneration and desertification.Social transformation theorists try to find out solution to Chinese existing environmental from the undergoing structural change in Chinese society. Breaking out of the water pollution by industrialization mirrors multibeneficiaries' relationship and reveals the and historical roots. A comprehensive analysis shows that environmental sociology's focus changes from the social problems to social system and from being aware of to solving problems.