This material was taped in March 2003 when professor Frederick Buttel from the University of Wisconsis visited Helsinki. He Buttel is specialized in environmental sociology, environmental politics, rural sociology and political sociology. Lecture is based on an article that is presented at this page in PDF-format. Prof. Buttel has recently written and edited the following books:

Riley E. Dunlap, Frederick H. Buttel, Peter Dickens, August Gifswijt (eds.): Sosiological Theory and the Environment, 2001.
Gert Spaargaren, Frederick H. Butter, Arthur P.J. Mol (eds.): Environment and Global Modernity, 2000.

Abstract

This presentation makes the case that environmental sociology is in the midst of a significant shift of problematics, from the explanation of environmental degradation to the explanation of environmental reform. I suggest that there are four basic mechanisms of environmental reform or
improvement: environmental activism/ movements, state environmental regulation, ecological modernization, and international environmental governance.

I suggest further that while "green consumerism" is one of the most frequently discussed mechanisms of environmental improvement within environmental sociology and in movement discourse, green consumerist arguments generally tend to rest on one or more of the other
four mechanisms of environmental reform. One of the main tasks of environmental sociology will be to assess which of these four mechanisms is the most fundamental to environmental reform. I conclude with the hypothesis that environmental movements and activism are ultimately the
most fundamental pillar of environmental reform."

Copyright notice
Material is free for you to listen. Nevertheless it may not be linked, copied or used in commercial/non-commercial educational ends.

With Compliments,
Frederick Buttel and YRTTI-project