Sociology of enviromental planning and management

EPM 531 SOCIOLOGY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

This is about sociology of environmental planning and management

Objectives

By the end of the course, students will have understood the Basic principles of sociology understood the basic concepts of environmental planning and management appreciated the relationship between environment and society acquired skills in analyzing anthropogenic impact on the environment understood the

Course Description

Principles of sociology; Approaches to Environmental Planning and Management; Society and community; Building Blocks of Society; Sociology-Environment nexus; Poverty and environment; Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Planning and Management; Role of Social Institutions in Environmental Planning and Management; Malthusian and Marxist view of Environmental planning and management; Millennium Development Goals and Environmental Planning and Management; Population and Environmental Planning and Management; Development and Environmental Planning and Management; Sustainable Development; Social Policy Landscape that shapes Environmental Planning and Management; Rural versus Urban Culture in Environmental Planning and Management; Government Policy in Environmental Planning and Management; Towards a more equitable society in Environmental resource utilization; Conclusions.

Course Topics

1. Principles of sociology
2. Approaches to Environmental Planning and Management
3. Society and community
4. Building Blocks of Society
5. Society-Environment nexus
6. Poverty and environment
7. Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Planning and Management
8. Role of Social Institutions in Environmental Planning and Management
9. Malthusian and Marxist view of Environmental planning and management
10. Millennium Development Goals and Environmental Planning and Management
11. Population and Environmental Planning and Management
12. Development and Environmental Planning and Management
13. Sustainable Development
14. Social Policy Landscape that shapes Environmental Planning and Management
15. Rural versus Urban Culture in Environmental Planning and Management
16. Government Policy in Environmental Planning and Management
17. Towards a more equitable society in Environmental resource utilization
18. Conclusions

Introduction

This course will entail having a panoramic view of the scope of sociology as a social science discipline and attempt to marry it with environmental planning and management. The aim is to show how environmental planning and management cannot stand on its own without reference to sociology and the way society is organized.

Environmental planning and management is all about stewardship. Humans are endowed with immense capability to either manage or mismanage the environmental resources. It is therefore important to ensure that the link between sociology and environment is brought out very clearly. Incidents of environmental degradation and other vices against the environment are an indicator of the way society relates with the environment. It is important, therefore that we understand the social dynamics involved in human-environment relationship.

Course Topics

Principles of sociology

Sociology is the study of the way in which society is designed. Every human being is born and raised in a group. The place of ones upbringing will largely determine how he/she grows up. The moral behaviour of a people is shaped by the way they interact one with the other. As the old saying goes, bad company corrupts good morals. This is true in the case of moulding of one's bevavioural traits.

Approaches to Environmental Planning and Management

The environment can be divided into five broad areas. These are: Biosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere. Each of these spheres contain resources, called natural resources. These resources are sometimes abundant. However, unfortunately, they are also finite, meaning that they can be exhausted easily. There is need, therefore, for all users of these resources to be careful not to deplete them. This is where the concept of sustainable development comes in. This concept explains the importance of utilizing environmental resources but ensure that we do not deplete them or else coming generations will not have access to these very resources. This is the idea developed by Brundtland in her 1987 Report.

1. Society and Community
2. Building Blocks of Society
3. Society-Environment nexus
4. Poverty and environment
5. Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Planning and Management
6. Role of Social Institutions in Environmental Planning and Management
7. Malthusian and Marxist view of Environmental planning and management
8. Millennium Development Goals and Environmental Planning and Management
9. Population and Environmental Planning and Management
10. Development and Environmental Planning and Management
11. Sustainable Development===
12. Social Policy Landscape that shapes Environmental Planning and Management
13. Rural versus Urban Culture in Environmental Planning and Management
14. Government Policy in Environmental Planning and Management
15. Towards a more equitable society in Environmental resource utilization
16. Conclusions
17. References - Library and internet sources