The Sociology of Green Transformations

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/dUxJeSb92KU

A view of the 146MW Solar PV plant built in the Atacama Desert, Región de Antofagasta, Chile. Photo by Antonio Garcia, May 2017, Unsplash.

There is an urgent need for societies and economies to shift away from fossil fuels and unsustainable models of economic growth to tackle escalating global social and environmental crises. This module interrogates debates, policies, movements, and conflicts over green transformations, drawing on perspectives from environmental sociology and interdisciplinary social sciences. The module will address different social and political visions of transformation, across markets, states, civil society, and social movements around the world, examining competing political interests and deepening social inequalities during processes of social and economic change.

Students in the module will critically examine a range of debates surrounding green transformations, including dominant market-based and technology-based "solutions", Green New Deal proposals, calls for "just transitions" to protect displaced workers and communities, and alternative ecological proposals from civil society and social movements. By taking this module, students will gain an appreciation for the important role of sociological and interdisciplinary social science perspectives and methodologies for confronting global environmental challenges.

Key Information:

Optional Module

15 CATS

Summative Assessment: 3000-word essay (100%)

Teaching: 1 hour lecture and 1 hour seminar per week

Module Convenor: David Brown