By Mark C.J. Stoddart, Myanna Lahsen and Pradip Swarnakar

We are excited to share our new book, Understanding Environmental Sociology. This book is designed for senior undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and practitioners interested in the perspectives and contributions that a sociological lens can bring to conversations about environmental issues and sustainability transitions.

Exploring the political, economic, and sociocultural dimensions of social-ecological change, the chapters address three core sociological concerns: (1) power and inequality, (2) discourse and culture, and (3) networks of collaboration, conflict, and communication.

Perhaps the greatest distinctiveness of the book is its attention to socio-ecological realities and scholarly contributions from outside of the U.S. and Europe, regions whose perspectives and realities tend to prevail in many existing books taught in environmental sociology. A big part of the motivation for this book was to provide an overview of environmental sociology that expands the discussion to be inclusive of a broad range of global research sites and literature. Rather than treating the rest of the world as a source of case studies, the book draws on scholarship and socio-ecological realities across the globe to show how environmental sociology is enriched through a wider geographical and intellectual lens.

Each chapter also sketches out key directions for future research for emerging scholars, as well as key insights for readers working in policy and practice spaces. As such, we hope it provides a hands-on guide for using environmental sociology as a perspective for research and practice.

Some brief background on each of the co-authors can illustrate the perspectives and motivations for this volume, as well as why we see environmental sociology as a particularly important field.

‘This book presents an updated and original state-of-the-art of environmental sociology, elucidating new approaches to the literature as well as expanding upon less disseminated theoretical approaches, mainly from the Global South. It increases the possibility of dialogues that will strengthen the role of interdisciplinarity in environmental sociology literature, actively encouraging readers to deepen their understanding of the most pressing environmental and challenging issues that impact humanity at this time.’ 

– Pedro Roberto Jacobi, Institute of Energy and Environment, University of Sâo Paulo, Brazil

Stoddart: I came to environmental sociology as an undergraduate student in the early 2000s, building on earlier involvement in environmental movements focused on old-growth forest protection in British Columbia, Canada. I was drawn to sociology’s holistic approach to environmental issues, particularly its attention to the political, economic, and cultural forces that shape environmental change and responses to it. My master’s research examined media discourse surrounding forestry policy debates in British Columbia, while my PhD explored the environmental politics of the ski industry, including industry claims of environmental stewardship and conflicts over resort development involving environmental organizations and Indigenous communities.

Since moving to Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010, my research has expanded to focus on climate change policy and media discourse, extractive industry-host community relations in the context of offshore oil and energy transitions, and the opportunities and limitations of sustainable tourism as a strategy for rural and regional development. While much of this work has focused on Canada, I have increasingly engaged in comparative research across the North Atlantic, including collaborations involving Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Scotland, Finland, and Greenland. This work has fostered a growing interest in how global sustainability frameworks, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, are interpreted and implemented in national, regional, and local contexts.

‘In this book, authors Mark Stoddart, Myanna Lahsen, and Pradip Swarnaker provide a comprehensive, dynamic, and fresh synthesis of the state of the field, with a clear eye towards the future. I look forward to using this valuable resource for both undergraduate and graduate courses.’

– Andrew Jorgenson, University of British Columbia, Canada

Lahsen: Since the early 2000s, I have lived and worked primarily in Brazil, having grown up in Denmark and France and spent many years in the United States. My academic training spans cultural anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, and human biological evolution, culminating in a PhD in cultural anthropology at Rice University. There, engagement with science and technology studies encouraged an interdisciplinary approach focused on contemporary institutions, knowledge systems, and power relations. This perspective drew me into conversations closely aligned with sociology and shaped my enduring interest in the cultural and political dynamics of knowledge production and circulation.

My research examines the social, cultural, and political forces that shape environmental knowledge, governance, and sustainability transformations. I investigate the cultures of science, the political economy of knowledge, and the institutions that mediate relationships among scientific expertise, policy, and society. A central concern is how institutions and knowledge systems might be reimagined to support more just and sustainable futures. More recently, I have explored the role of traditional and digital media, including AI-enabled communication systems, in shaping public knowledge, values, and political agency. This work highlights communication governance as a foundational yet often overlooked dimension of environmental politics, one that strongly influences democratic participation, public engagement, and the prospects for equitable and effective sustainability transitions.

‘Environmental sociology has become a crucial lens to understanding global environmental problems. Stoddart, Lahsen and Swarnakar compellingly illustrate the contributions of environmental sociology to climate change, exploring social factors contributing to its causes, consequences, and responses, particularly transformation. The book also provides valuable self-reflection, describing environmental sociology’s evolution and blind spots. I look forward to assigning this book in my classes.’

– Debra J. Davidson, University of Alberta, Canada

Swarnakar: I grew up in a small town in India, where early experiences sparked my curiosity about society, development, and the ways social change affects people’s everyday lives. This interest led me to sociology and a career in teaching and research. Today, I am Professor of Sociology at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), where my work focuses on environmental and public policy, climate change, energy transitions, livelihoods, and social justice. My research bridges sociology, sustainability, and energy studies, reflecting a commitment to understanding how large-scale transformations affect communities and workers.

A central part of my work has been advancing research and dialogue around just transitions. I founded the Just Transition Research Centre (JTRC) to support scholarship and public engagement on making energy transitions more equitable for people whose lives and livelihoods are closely tied to changing energy systems. I have also collaborated with scholars and institutions across India and internationally, contributing to research on climate policy, sustainability, and social change.

Although my work is published internationally, I believe its greatest value lies in helping us better understand and respond to real-world challenges. At the heart of my research is a simple question: when our world changes, what happens to the people who live through that change? I hope this book encourages readers to remain curious and contribute to a fairer, more sustainable future.

‘This book fills a much needed gap in Environmental Sociology. Presenting an original and truly global perspective, the book offers a systematic introduction to sociology’s contribution to the study of environmental issues, alongside a useful set of policy suggestions.’

– Jose Mauricio Domingues, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This book offers a synthesis of our respective research programs and draws on a broad, inclusive range of research literature and examples from scholarship across the Global North and Global South. As such, we hope to contribute to a growing dialogue about a future of environmental sociology that helps prepare emerging scholars to join this increasingly global research community.

Understanding Environmental Sociology

By: Mark C.J. Stoddart, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, Myanna Lahsen, INPE, Brazil and Pradip Swarnakar, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India

Read Sample Chapter here.