Course Outline for Sociology 20
Environment, Society, and Justice

Effective: Fall 2025
SLO Rev:
Catalog Description:

SOCI 20 - Environment, Society, and Justice

3.00 Units

Environmental sociology studies the relationship between modern societies and the environment. Studying this relationship is important to determine environmental problems and find appropriate solutions. This course examines issues such as environmental injustice, social perceptions of environmental problems, human-induced environmental degradation, the social distribution of environmental hazards, politics and economics that shape environmental policies and environmental social movements.
2208.00 - Sociology
Optional
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. explain the interconnections between patriarchy, Western imperialism, and neoliberalism on modern environmental problems;
  2. describe how environmental degradation disproportionately impacts the BIPOC communities in the U.S., women, and communities in the Global South;
  3. explain the way environmental problems contribute to disease, exploitation, and conflict;
  4. describe the role of politics in responding to environmental challenges and the role of resistance movements in addressing environmental problems.

Course Content:

  1. Sociological perspective on the environment

    1. Major theories and concepts

    2. Role of social institutions

    3. Environmental problems as social problems

  2. The Meaning of Nature

    1. Environmental discourse

    2. The social construction of nature

    3. Western & capitalist conceptions of nature and natural resources

    4. Domination and imperialism

    5. Non-Western and indigenous conceptions of nature

    6. Perceptions of nature and climate change

  3. Eco-feminism/ Gender and the Environment

    1. Patriarchy/ Domination of nature and women

    2. Impact of environmental demise on women

    3. Women and the environmentalist movement

  4. Consumption, Materialism, and Neoliberalism

    1. Neoliberalism 

    2. Consumer culture

    3. Political economy and environmental degradation

    4. Planned obsolescence

    5. Right to fix

    6. Corporate responsibility

    7. Greenwashing

  5. The environment and race

    1. Marginalization and political power

    2. Impact of climate change on BIPOC communities

    3. Immigration

    4. Toxic waste, pollution, and community organizing

  6. Climate change and the global South

    1. Pollution and toxic waste

    2. Uninhabitable communities

    3. Climate refugees and trafficking 

    4. Development and climate change

  7. Social impacts of environmental degradation

    1. Food and global hunger

    2. The oceans and fisheries

    3. Health and the environment

    4. Clean water

  8. Environment and Politics

    1. Social Policies

    2. Inequality

    3. Violence and conflict

  9. Resistance and sustainability

    1. Alternative energy sources

    2. Sustainable cities

    3. Sustainability movements

    4. Recycling, reusing, and zero waste

    5. Green-collar jobs

    6. Community organizing

    7. Democracy and sustainability

Methods of Instruction:
  1. Case Study
  2. Research Report
  3. Presentation
  4. Group Activities
  5. Individual Performance
  6. Lectures
  7. Distance Education
  8. Textbook reading assignments
  9. Class and group discussions
  10. Presentation of audio-visual materials
  11. Field Trips
  12. Guest speakers
  13. Online Assignments
  14. Diagnostic Quizzes
  15. Written assignments
  16. Lecture/Discussion
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. One six-page paper, written essay, or report on select environmental issues as they relate to cultural difference, global diversity, gender, identity, ethnicity, race, or class.
  2. Go to www.myfootprint.org and study all the components that comprise the "Ecological Footprint" of each person on Earth. For the next week, track and record everything you consume from the natural world as described in on the web site. At the end of the week, calculate your own Ecological Footprint and then comment on ways you can reduce it.
  3. Read the attached article and reflect on how this presents an environmental concern and propose solutions.
  1. Assigned activities
  2. Exams/Tests
  3. Written assignments
  4. Final Examination or Project
  5. Online Assignments
  6. Midterm Examination
  7. Research Projects
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Identify the role of community organizing and resistance movements in advocating for a more sustainable future.
  2. Explain how Western imperialism and capitalism have contributed to environmental degradation and its resulting social and political impacts.
  3. Explain environmental justice: the intersections between environmental issues and issues related to race/ethnicity, class, or gender.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Michael Mayerfeld Bell, Loka L. Ashwood, Isaac Sohn Leslie, Laura Hanson Schlachter (2020). An Invitation to Environmental Sociology (6th). Sage.
  2. Kenneth A. Gould and Tammy L. Lewis (2020). Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology (3rd). Oxford University Press.
  3. Charels Harper and Monica Snowden (2017). Environment and Society: Human Perspectives on Environmental Issues (6th). Taylor & Francis Group.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
This course will examine the relationship between modern societies and the environment, including how environmental problems are created by societies and can be addressed through collective action.
Discipline:
Sociology*