This book uses the author's personal narrative as a tool to explore environmental sociological thinking and broader societal issues. The author not only traces the birth of environmental sociology as a research field but also emphasizes the crucial role of environmental sociological perspectives. He presents a qualitative analysis of the activities and practices that lead to a sustainable future on a community level in Japan. The book also delves into the social conflicts between the government and residents' movements over public policies such as the development of high-speed transportation networks and nuclear energy policy. The author's analysis of the role of environmental sociology in addressing societal challenges such as environmental pollution, energy transformation, climate crisis, and sustainable futures for society is a key focus of the book. He also examines how the notion of a sustainable future in a Japanese context differs from that of the West.

Explores the significance of environmental sociology in questioning the human-centered view within the social sciences Looks back on the impact of Environmental Sociology as a relatively new academic field Offers useful applications to environmental sociology, social movement studies, and Asian studies

Autorentext

Koichi Hasegawa is the President at Morioka University and Professor Emeritus at Tohoku University, Japan. He received his Ph.D from the University of Tokyo. His research interests are environmental sociology, social movements, and social change. His representative works include: Constructing Civil Society in Japan (2004) and Beyond Fukushima (2015).

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Encounters with Sociology.- Chapter 2: The Impacts of the Shinkansen Noise Pollution Problems.- Chapter 3: How to Explain Social Movements.- Chapter 4: Nuclear Phase-out and American Civil Society.- Chapter 5: Imagine beyond the Electrical Outlet: Rokkasho Village, Aomori.- Chapter 6: Being an Environmental Sociologist.- Chapter 7: For a Sustainable Future.