Society and Nature: Towards a Green Social TheoryIn this wide-ranging effort to theorize about the relationships between society and nature, Peter Dickens attempts to reconstruct social theory in a way that enables it to speak to contemporary environmental issues. After reviewing existing sociological traditions, he draws on the early work of Karl Marx to suggest that processes and relations in the workplace are the main source of people's separation from nature. In addition, people's understanding of "nature" tends to mirror their experience of the social world. Redefining the work of Anthony Giddens in an ecological direction, Dickens analyzes developments in biological thinking that seem consistent with this approach. He considers the role of culture, and he critiques the contemporary "deep green" and "deep ecology" movements. Focusing on the alienation of human begins from the natural world and the place of nature in their "deep mental structures," the author works in part from a Marxist perspective but draws a wide variety of social psychological, and biological theories into the discussion. Society and Nature not only addresses a central debate in contemporary social science regarding this interrelationship but also responds to the intellectual challenge presented by natural scientific concepts of environmental problems that oversimplify or ignore their political or social relational dimensions. Author note: Peter Dickens is Senior Lecturer in Urban Studies and Social Policy at the University of Sussex (UK) and the author of Urban Sociology: Society, Locality and Human Nature. |
Contents
Science Social Science Politics and | 1 |
People Nature and Social Theory | 18 |
From Land and Community to Society | 29 |
From Biologism to Functionalism | 39 |
Society Nature and Social Theory | 55 |
From NeoDarwinism | 91 |
Social Relations and Deep Mental | 124 |
Some | 144 |
A Contemporary Case Study | 163 |
From Theory to Practice | 175 |
Epilogue | 197 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract adapt alienation analogy analysis animals approach argues argument become Benton Bhaskar biological biologically inherited biologists capacities capitalism central chapter concepts concerned constructed contemporary environmental context critical realism culture Darwin deep ecology developed dialectical distinct dualism early ecological ecologists emphasis envisaged ethology evolution evolutionary evolved example fetishisation Furthermore gemeinschaft genes genetic Giddens Green Political hand Harré Hemel Hempstead human societies human species ibid inclusive fitness individuals inherited inorganic nature interaction levels living London Marx and Engels Marx's Marxism Mass Observation mechanisms mental methodological individualism modern natural environment natural sciences natural selection natural world needs neo-Darwinism neo-liberal notion op.cit organised organism and environment paradigm particular people's physical political potentials powers problem realised recognise relationships reproduction seen sense social and natural Social Darwinism social relations social sciences social theory social world sociobiology sociology species-being Spencer structures suggests survival tendencies themes Tönnies underlying understanding Yanomami