Social Futures and Sociological Response: Climate Change

• In Event: 3151 - Theory Section Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 8. Theoretical Approaches to Global Change and Challenges – B

Abstract

The most urgent long term risk to the current planetary biosphere, humans included, comes from human-induced global warming. Given this momentous global situation, what helpful roles can best be played by the social sciences, and by sociology in particular? Of course, active pursuit of the “Zero Carbon Zero Poverty” goal is necessary at all levels of society, from the personal to civil society to the national and the global. But as an intellectual discipline dedicated to the explanation of events and processes in human society, sociology can best contribute to the solution of our “clear and present” climate change danger through the application of its craft. Sociological research should do its best to pinpoint and clearly reveal, through empirical study at the many levels, the mechanisms in society that keep it on a carbon track or divert it to a greener future.

Authors

• Jeffrey Broadbent, University of Minnesota

• Pradip Swarnakar, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur