Climate Change and Rural Sociology: Broadening the Research Agenda

摘要: Climate change is the preeminent environmental problem of our time, and Joseph Molnar’s call for greater attention to it by rural sociologists both welcome timely. The agenda he lays out sociology’s engagement with climate change, however, seems rather narrow restrictive. Examining potential impacts feasible mitigation options, possible coping or adaptive strategies agricultural (and other natural-resource) industries communities are obviously topics which particularly well qualified. However, sociology should be able make broader contributions understanding human dimensions change. To this point I will comment in particular on scope research agenda, its dependence natural science, casual treatment “climate debate.” In process dealing these interrelated issues, suggest a social scientists interested reference wide range literature that provide guideposts pursuing such research. These suggestions informed part report from 2008 National Science Foundation workshop “Sociological Perspectives Change” (Nagel, Dietz, Broadbent forthcoming). My fundamental goal complement extend call, not critique it, even though some my commentary necessity critical.