This uniquely Canadian text examines the relationship between humans and the environment, the social factors that cause environmental problems, and potential solutions to these problems. Exploring what sociologists can contribute to the study of environmental issues, this text also considers the historical relationship between humans and the natural world, theoretical perspectives, and such key topics as scarcity, sustainability, globalization, and natural disasters.

Nathan Young's profile page

Nathan Young holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of British Columbia. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Ottawa. His teaching and research interests include environmental sociology, natural resources, economic sociology, and the sociology of science and knowledge. His 2010 book The Aquaculture Controversy in Canada (co-authored with Ralph Matthews), won the 2011 K.D. Srivastava Prize for Excellence in Scholarly Publishing (Book of the Year from UBC Press).

"This is the most forward-thinking text on the market. It brilliantly . . . illuminates possible paths for the future development of the field." --Gary Bowden, University of New Brunswick

"The text tackles difficult theoretical questions in a very accessible way and provides lots of empirical examples and case studies to ground these more theoretical discussions." --Kenneth Fish, University of Winnipeg