Microsociological Perspectives for Environmental Sociology

List of illustrations

Preface

Notes on contributors

Introduction: awakening micro-theoretical perspectives in environmental sociology

BRADLEY H. BREWSTER AND ANTONY J. PUDDEPHATT

1 Micro-interactions of cosmic proportions: mediating human–cosmos relationships in the planetarium

MEGAN S. ALBAUGH BONHAM

2 “This is not Sea World”: spectacle and insight in nature tourism

PETER R. GRAHAME

3 How to climb Mount Fuji (at your earliest convenience): a non-representational approach

PHILLIP VANNINI

4 Negotiating identity, valuing place: enacting “earthcare” and social justice at Finca La Bella, Costa Rica

STELLA M. ČAPEK

5 Green lifestyles and micropolitics: pragmatist action theory and the connection between lifestyle change and collective action

JANET A. LORENZEN

6 Mead, interactionism, and the improbability of ecological selves: toward a meta-environmental microsociological theory

STEPHEN ZAVESTOSKI AND ANDREW J. WEIGERT

7 Present tense: everyday animism and the politics of possession

MICHAEL M. BELL

8 Wild selves: a symbolic interactionist perspective on species, minds, and nature

LESLIE IRVINE

9 Dog shit happens: human–canine interactions and the immediacy of excremental presence

MATTHIAS GROSS AND ANA HORTA

10 Sorting the trash: competing constructions and instructions for handling household waste

SUSAN MACHUM

11 The utility of phenomenology in understanding and addressing human-caused environmental problems

JERRY WILLIAMS

12 The social psychology of compromised negotiations: constructing asymmetrical boundary objects between science and industry

BENJAMIN KELLY

13 Escaping the iron cage of environmental rationalizations: microsocial decision-making in environmental conflicts

FILIP ALEXANDRESCU AND BERND BALDUS

Index

Biography

Bradley H. Brewster is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Graceland University, USA.

Antony J. Puddephatt is Associate Professor of Sociology at Lakehead University, Canada and co-editor of Ethnographies Revisited: Constructing Theory in the Field.

'It's about time! Environmental sociology might have found innovative ways to theorize materiality but it still is grappling with everyday life. Sensitive to avoid reaffirming the micro-macro dualism, Microsociological Perspectives for Environmental Sociology playfully investigates the varied ways in which our encounters with the natural world matter, and are mattering.' - Michael S. Carolan, Colorado State University, U.S.A

'Students and scholars interested in a variety of environmental issues, will find the topics in this book most intriguing – from narration of the cosmos to environmental conflicts, from mountain climbs and whale watching to what to do with our waste, this lively collection calls on us all to consider what constitutes our relationship to nature, identity, and community. Deeply theoretical with a broad range of micro-sociological perspectives, Microsociological Perspectives and Environmental Sociology highlights the relationship of nature to social life through the rich lens of emotions, identity, embodiment, interaction, politics and collective identity. I strongly recommend this book to undergraduate and graduate students alike. It will no doubt be a must read for those teaching about qualitative methods and/or the environment.' - Lori Holyfield, University of Arkansas, U.S.A

'This anthology demonstrates how micro-perspectives address matters previously within the domain of macro-analytic research, and how such analysis can inform theory and politics—a welcome contribution to environmental sociology' - Jeffrey E. Nash, Symbolic Interaction