xvii, 330 p. : ill., maps. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This dissertation is a sociological study of the Sicilian bluefin tuna fishery. It will examine the social and ecological transformation of this fishery during the modern era. This will be analyzed utilizing a sociological framework that draws on theory from environmental sociology. The Sicilian fishery has been exploited for its abundant tuna for over a millennium, providing a major source of protein for Mediterranean civilizations. However, within the last half century there has been exponential expansion of industrialized methods of production and increasing capture efforts. This has culminated in the development of bluefin tuna "ranches," which have become a highly controversial method for supplying global markets. Escalating pressure on the fishery has contributed to a host of environmental and social concerns, including pushing this important fishery to the brink of collapse. Using a combination of primary and secondary source data such as interviews with local fishers and those in the tuna ranching sector, data compiled by international agencies such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) as well as archival data on the Sicilian bluefin tuna fishery, I will employ sociological methods and analyze the recent changes in social life and the environment in Sicilian fishing communities. Subsequently, this project will shed light on the globalized and industrialized nature of the modern agri-food system and lead to a better understanding of its social and environmental impacts. / Committee in charge: Richard York, Chairperson, Sociology; John Foster, Member, Sociology; Yvonne Braun, Member, Sociology; Joseph Fracchia, Outside Member, Honors College

Orientador: Leila da Costa Ferreira / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T01:22:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santos_AnaCarolinaVilaRamosdos_D.pdf: 1403469 bytes, checksum: 2185a1777712376a1277adb4027f2858 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Neste trabalho, tomo como objetivo estudar um período crucial à formação do pensamento sociológico brasileiro- décadas de 1940 a 1960- tomando como obra-guia "Os Parceiros do Rio Bonito" de Antonio Candido. Sugiro que a sociologia de Antonio Candido e seu "Os parceiros do Rio Bonito" encontram-se na confluência de debates teóricos, metodológicos, sociais e políticos cruciais na compreensão da formação do pensamento sociológico brasileiro. Tomando como idéia-guia 'natureza' em sua articulação com o tema da modernidade, proponho desenhar uma história sobre o que e como se pensou sobre natureza na sociologia paulista munida do intento de oferecer um substrato crítico para o desenvolvimento dos estudos contemporâneos, no âmbito da sociologia, em torno da temática ambiente e sociedade / Abstract: This work looks at a important moment of the Brazilian sociological thought formation - from 1940 to 1960 - and takes as object of study Antonio Candido's "Os Parceiros do Rio Bonito". We suggest that Antonio Candido's sociology, as constructed and exposed in "Os Parceiros do Rio Bonito, is in the confluence of theoretical, methodological, social e political debates crucial to the comprehension of the Brazilian social thought formation. Taking as guide the idea of nature in its articulation with the theme "modernity", I intend to draw a history about what and how nature has been thought in the Brazilian sociology (especially, those studies that take place in São Paulo state in the period drawn above) as a first step to construct a critical background to the development of contemporary studies in the environmental sociology / Doutorado / Sociologia / Doutora em Sociologia

This research provides a sociological analysis of skiing as a form of outdoor recreation and nature tourism in British Columbia, Canada. A qualitative multi-method approach is used, combining discourse analysis, interviews with skiers, and unobtrusive field observation at Whistler Blackcomb and Whitewater ski resorts. Through a focus on discourse, embodied interactions among humans and non-humans, and flows of power, this research describes an environmental ambiguity at the centre of skiing. There is a tension between interpretations of skiing as an environmentally-sustainable practice and notions of skiing as an environmental and social problem. Skiing is based on the symbolic consumption of nature and is understood by many participants as a way of entering into a meaningful relationship with the non-human environment. However, interpretations of skiing as a non-consumptive use of non-human nature are too simple. Social movement groups disrupt pro-environmental discourses of skiing by challenging the sport’s ecological and social legitimacy. Many skiers also articulate a self-reflexive environmental critique of their sport. In these instances, skiing is brought into the realm of politics. Recreational forms of interaction with the non-human environment tend to be at the periphery of environmental sociology. At the same time, sport sociologists tend to focus on the social dimensions of outdoor recreation, while bracketing out non-human nature. This research brings these two fields of inquiry into dialogue with each other, thereby addressing this double lacuna. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

Modern society’s industrial food system has led to several environmental problems and is compromising the fundamental aspects of agriculture such as fertile soil, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. In addition to this, the food system contributes to economic and social difficulties for actors within the agricultural sector. Hence, the food system requires a deep socio-economic change. Regionalwert AG is among other alternative food networks, an initiative to enhance sustainable agriculture by operating at a regional level. In this study, interviews were conducted with partner companies of Regionalwert AG with the aim to examine what motivates people to engage in alternative food networks, using Regionalwert AG as an exemplary case. A further aim was to examine the partnership between the partner companies and Regionalwert AG. The results were analysed using the study's state of knowledge and the theoretical framework, consisting of alienation theory. The study shows that the informants had unique stories about how they engaged with the network and that the partnership was constructed in three different ways: investment partnership, licensed partnership, and supportive partnership. The motivations that emerged from the study were divided into three themes: (i) economic, social and ideological, (ii) critical approach towards the food system, and (iii) re-connecting people with agriculture. The informants expressed that they want to spread knowledge and awareness about food production and Regionalwert AG makes this financially possible as well as provides a platform to spread the message about the value of food. / Det moderna samhällets industriella livsmedelssystem har lett till flera miljöproblem och det kompromissar fundamentala aspekter inom jordbruket som bördig jord, biodiversitet och ekosystemtjänster. Utöver miljöproblemen bidrar livsmedelssystemet till ekonomiska och sociala svårigheter för aktörer inom jordbrukssektorn. Därav krävs en stor socioekonomisk förändring av livsmedelssystemet. Regionalwert AG är tillsammans med andra alternativa livsmedelsnätverk ett initiativ till att öka hållbart jordbruk genom att verka på en regional nivå. I den här studien, genomfördes intervjuer med partnerföretag till Regionalwert AG med syftet att undersöka vad som motiverar människor att gå med i alternativa livsmedelsnätverk, genom att använda Regionalwert AG som ett exemplifierande fall. Ett ytterligare syfte var att undersöka partnerskapet mellan partnerföretagen och Regionalwert AG. Resultatet analyserades med hjälp av studiens kunskapsläge och teoretiska ramverk, bestående av alienationsteori. Studien visar att informanterna hade unika berättelser om hur de anslöt sig till nätverket och att partnerskapet var konstruerat på tre olika sätt: investerings partnerskap, licensierat partnerskap och stödjande partnerskap. Motivationerna som kom fram genom studien föll under tre teman: (i) ekonomisk, social och ideologisk, (ii) kritisk inställning mot livsmedelssystemet och (iii) återknyta människor med jordbruket. Informanterna uttryckte att de vill sprida kunskap och medvetenhet om matproduktion och Regionalwert AG gör detta finansiellt möjligt samt utgör en plattform för att sprida budskapet om värdet bakom livsmedel.

Idag finns det en större medvetenhet när det talas om klimatet och arbetet mot en hållbar utveckling har ökat. En del av avfallet tas inte hand om ordentligt idag vilket gör att en stor källa till energiomvandling inte tas hand om. Samverkan mellan hanteringen av avfallet och invånarnas attityd till källsorteringen är ett sätt att kunna uppnå en hållbar samhällsutveckling. Problemet med avfallet handlar i sin tur om hur varje person källsorterar, där det finns en förbättringspotential. Källsortering är en självklarhet för somliga men inte för alla, denna studien syftar till att med hjälp av en kvantitativ undersökning besvara frågeställningarna och undersöka hur Halmstad kommuns invånare ser på källsortering och deras källsorteringsvanor. De teoretiska perspektiven som behandlas i studien är risksamhället, miljösociologi och kollektivt medvetande. Studien visar på att det är olika faktorer som spelar roll vid källsortering och i synnerhet sorteringen av matavfall. / Today there is a bigger awareness when it comes to the climate and the work towards sustainable development has increased. A large part of the waste is not taken care of properly today which means that a large source of energy conversion is not taken care of. A collaboration between the management of waste and the inhabitants attitude to recycle, is a way of achieving sustainable societal development. The problem with waste is in turn about how each person recycle today and that there is a potential for improvement in it. Recycling is obvious to some people but not for everyone, this study aims to use a quantitative survey to answer the questions and investigate how Halmstads residents view of recycling and their recycling habits. The theoretical perspectives covered in the study are the risk society, environmental sociology and collective consciousness The study shows that there are various factors that play a role in recycling and in particular the sorting of food waste.

Klimatfrågan är ett ständigt aktuellt ämne i dagens samhälle och det tycks finnas en stor medvetenhet hos de flesta människor om att det krävs akuta insatser och stora livsstilsförändringar, om vi ska ha möjlighet att minska vår klimatpåverkan. Trots att klimatförändringarna lämnar få oberörda och många individer uppger sig dessutom vara både insatta och engagerade i klimatfrågan, så omsätts engagemanget inte alltid till handling. Denna miljösociologiska kvantitativa studie avser undersöka om olika typer av klimatbudskap har en inverkan på individens attityd gentemot klimatförändringar vid exponeringstillfället. Studien undersöker också huruvida det finns skillnader i individens socio-ekonomiska bakgrund som inverkar på deras självskattade klimatengagemang. I studien deltog 140 respondenter med varierande bakgrundsvariabler (ålder, kön, boendeort, utbildningsnivå och inkomst). Respondenterna som delades upp i två experimentgrupper och en kontrollgrupp, fick besvara en digital enkät med en kvasi-experimentell design.                                                                                                     Resultatet visade att de olika kommunikativa angreppssätten att förmedla frågor kring klimatet på, inte hade en inverkan på respondenternas attityd gentemot klimatförändringar vid exponeringstillfället. Det fanns inte heller en signifikant skillnad avseende respondenternas klimatengagemang mellan bakgrundsvariablerna boendeort och utbildningsnivå. Däremot visade resultatet en signifikant skillnad mellan män och kvinnor gällande skattat klimatengagemang, något som ligger i linje med tidigare forskning. / Climate change is a constantly debated issue in our society today, and most people seem to have a sense of awareness that we need to act urgently and make major changes in our lifestyle in order to decrease our impact on the climate. Despite the fact that climate change leaves few untouched and many individuals also claim to be both well informed and engaged in the climate issue, the commitment is not always put into action. This environmental sociological quantitative study intends to investigate whether different types of climate messages have an impact on the individual's attitude towards climate change at the time of exposure. The study also examines whether there are differences in the individual's socio-economic background that affect their self-rated climate commitment. In the study 140 respondents with varying background variables participated (age, sex, level of education, place of residence and income). Respondents who were divided into two experimental groups and one control group were asked to answer a digital survey with a quasi-experimental design.                                                                                                                The result showed that the different communicative approaches to conveying issues around the climate did not have an impact on the respondents' attitude towards climate change at the time of exposure. There was also no significant difference with respect to the respondents' climate commitment between the background variables residential area and level of education. However, the result showed a significant difference between men and women regarding estimated climate engagement, which is in line with previous research.

Diante da crise ambiental que se impõe à sociedade contemporânea, trazendo consigo um sentido de urgência por mudanças de rumo e das visões de mundo, a mídia tem um papel importante na mediação de sentidos no processo de construção social dos problemas ambientais. A pesquisa apresenta o resultado de um diagnóstico sobre como os jornais Folha de S.Paulo e O Estado de S.Paulo cobriram o tema poluição do solo por resíduos, no Brasil, ao longo de 15 anos, no período compreendido entre o ano da Rio-92 e 2007. Diversas perguntas nortearam o trabalho. Está a imprensa preparada para cumprir a sua função e contribuir para que diferentes atores sociais estejam aptos para posicionar-se frente a tamanhos desafios? A pluralidade das fontes e a visão sistêmica e transversal preconizadas pelo jornalismo ambiental estão presentes nas redações? Quais são as vozes predominantes na cobertura ambiental? Como elas aparecem? Essas são algumas das discussões propostas por este estudo. Entre os resultados, verificou-se, por exemplo, que a cobertura ambiental ainda está baseada, prioritariamente, em fontes oficiais presentes em 93,4% dos textos analisados. A maior parte deles ainda traz uma abordagem desconexa, pontual e alarmista sobre o tema, presa a uma visão reducionista da realidade, buscando emoldurar histórias e encaixar nelas papéis de vilões e mocinhos, justiceiros e vítimas. Embora o volume de textos sobre meio ambiente seja maior na atualidade do que no passado e exista maior número de reportagens contextualizadas, isso ainda é a exceção, e não a regra nas redações. A qualidade está mais associada a iniciativas individuais de profissionais do que a decisões institucionais de grupos de comunicação. Frente às complexidades e incertezas da sociedade de risco, cientistas e jornalistas entrevistados neste estudo refletiram sobre caminhos possíveis para a cobertura jornalística sobre meio ambiente. Apontaram, por exemplo, a aproximação e o melhor entendimento entre jornalistas e cientistas como fatores importantes para a qualificação do debate ambiental mediado pela imprensa no Brasil. / Faced by the environmental crisis, which is imposing itself on contemporary society and is bringing in its wake a sense of urgency for changes in the course and in the views of the world, the media is having an important role in mediating senses in the process for building up social awareness of environmental problems. The research presents results of a diagnosis on how two major newspapers in Brazil Folha de S.Paulo and O Estado de S.Paulo covered the issue of soil pollution by residues during 15 years, between the Rio-92 and 2007. Many questions were raised to guide this work. Is the press prepared to accomplish its function and contribute towards having the several different social players prepared to position themselves to face such great challenges? Are the diversity of sources and the systemic and transversal vision - foreseen by environmental journalism taken into account by the newsrooms? Whose are the predominant voices in the environmental coverage? How do they appear? These are some of the discussions which are being proposed by this study. Among the findings, it was verified for example that environmental coverage is still mostly based on official sources - present in 93.4% of the texts analyzed. The greater part of them even bring approaches that are disconnected, limited and alarmist about the matter, tied up by a reductionist vision of the actuality, seeking to embellish the stories and make them fit into the roles of villains and heroes; sheriff and victims. Although the volume of texts on environment is currently greater than in the past and that there is a greater amount of contextualized reporting, this is still an exception and not the rule at the newsrooms. Quality is closely associated to the individual initiatives of the professionals, rather than to institutional decisions. Having in view the complexities and uncertainties of the risk society, the scientists and journalists who were interviewed for this study made reflections on the possible ways for journalistic coverage of environmental issues. They pointed out, for instance, the narrowing of the gap and the better understanding between journalists and scientists as being important factors for the quality of the environmental debate that is mediated by the press in Brazil.

Diante da crise ambiental que se impõe à sociedade contemporânea, trazendo consigo um sentido de urgência por mudanças de rumo e das visões de mundo, a mídia tem um papel importante na mediação de sentidos no processo de construção social dos problemas ambientais. A pesquisa apresenta o resultado de um diagnóstico sobre como os jornais Folha de S.Paulo e O Estado de S.Paulo cobriram o tema poluição do solo por resíduos, no Brasil, ao longo de 15 anos, no período compreendido entre o ano da Rio-92 e 2007. Diversas perguntas nortearam o trabalho. Está a imprensa preparada para cumprir a sua função e contribuir para que diferentes atores sociais estejam aptos para posicionar-se frente a tamanhos desafios? A pluralidade das fontes e a visão sistêmica e transversal preconizadas pelo jornalismo ambiental estão presentes nas redações? Quais são as vozes predominantes na cobertura ambiental? Como elas aparecem? Essas são algumas das discussões propostas por este estudo. Entre os resultados, verificou-se, por exemplo, que a cobertura ambiental ainda está baseada, prioritariamente, em fontes oficiais presentes em 93,4% dos textos analisados. A maior parte deles ainda traz uma abordagem desconexa, pontual e alarmista sobre o tema, presa a uma visão reducionista da realidade, buscando emoldurar histórias e encaixar nelas papéis de vilões e mocinhos, justiceiros e vítimas. Embora o volume de textos sobre meio ambiente seja maior na atualidade do que no passado e exista maior número de reportagens contextualizadas, isso ainda é a exceção, e não a regra nas redações. A qualidade está mais associada a iniciativas individuais de profissionais do que a decisões institucionais de grupos de comunicação. Frente às complexidades e incertezas da sociedade de risco, cientistas e jornalistas entrevistados neste estudo refletiram sobre caminhos possíveis para a cobertura jornalística sobre meio ambiente. Apontaram, por exemplo, a aproximação e o melhor entendimento entre jornalistas e cientistas como fatores importantes para a qualificação do debate ambiental mediado pela imprensa no Brasil. / Faced by the environmental crisis, which is imposing itself on contemporary society and is bringing in its wake a sense of urgency for changes in the course and in the views of the world, the media is having an important role in mediating senses in the process for building up social awareness of environmental problems. The research presents results of a diagnosis on how two major newspapers in Brazil Folha de S.Paulo and O Estado de S.Paulo covered the issue of soil pollution by residues during 15 years, between the Rio-92 and 2007. Many questions were raised to guide this work. Is the press prepared to accomplish its function and contribute towards having the several different social players prepared to position themselves to face such great challenges? Are the diversity of sources and the systemic and transversal vision - foreseen by environmental journalism taken into account by the newsrooms? Whose are the predominant voices in the environmental coverage? How do they appear? These are some of the discussions which are being proposed by this study. Among the findings, it was verified for example that environmental coverage is still mostly based on official sources - present in 93.4% of the texts analyzed. The greater part of them even bring approaches that are disconnected, limited and alarmist about the matter, tied up by a reductionist vision of the actuality, seeking to embellish the stories and make them fit into the roles of villains and heroes; sheriff and victims. Although the volume of texts on environment is currently greater than in the past and that there is a greater amount of contextualized reporting, this is still an exception and not the rule at the newsrooms. Quality is closely associated to the individual initiatives of the professionals, rather than to institutional decisions. Having in view the complexities and uncertainties of the risk society, the scientists and journalists who were interviewed for this study made reflections on the possible ways for journalistic coverage of environmental issues. They pointed out, for instance, the narrowing of the gap and the better understanding between journalists and scientists as being important factors for the quality of the environmental debate that is mediated by the press in Brazil.

Environmental sociology and the sociology of scientific knowledge provide a strong theoretical foundation for investigating the role of science in environmental disputes. The field of environmental dispute resolution has built a body of literature, outlining the techniques and practices that underpin the successful resolution of disputes, over controversial environmental issues. However, the literature on dispute resolution has generally neglected the role of science in environmental disputes. This thesis develops a theoretical framework based on concepts from environmental sociology and the sociology of scientific knowledge in order to critically examine the role of science in environmental disputes. In particular, this thesis combines the theory on claims-making from environmental sociology with actor-network theory and the theory on boundary-work from the sociology of scientific knowledge, to analyse the way in which science was involved in the dispute over phasing out extractive dredging from the Brisbane River. Data were collected from qualitative in-depth interviews with key players in the Brisbane River dredging dispute and combined with analysis of relevant documents and newspaper articles. Each of the components of the theoretical framework developed in this thesis contributes to an in-depth analysis of the way in which science was involved in the dredging dispute. The environmental claims-making analysis examines the way in which the claim that extractive dredging was an environmental problem for the Brisbane River was constructed and contested. The actor-network analysis compares the two competing actor-networks that were developed by one of the major concrete companies and by the anti-dredging campaigners. The boundary-work analysis examines the social construction of the science / politics border as an important site of boundary-work, before exploring other related forms of boundary-work within the case study. When combined, these theories highlight the social and political processes that underpin the inherent difficulties associated with applying science to effective environmental dispute resolution. The theoretical framework developed in this thesis highlights the way in which an analysis of environmental claims-making, actor-networks and boundary-work, extends the literature on environmental dispute resolution. This thesis therefore makes a significant contribution to the field of environmental dispute resolution, by illustrating the advantages of drawing on theoretical perspectives from environmental sociology and the sociology of scientific knowledge.

Wetlands are defined by New Zealand's Resource Management Act 1991 as "includ[ing] permanently or intermittently wet areas, shallow water and land water margins that support a natural ecosystem of plants and animals that are adapted to wet conditions" (RMA 1991). Over ninety per cent of New Zealand wetlands have been lost or modified. Several conservation groups composed of volunteers have formed to protect the few remaining areas. These wetlands and their conservators serve as an interesting study into human-nature relationships because of the precarious state of the ecosystems and the dedicated, local volunteer groups that form around them. I explored the relationship between the two through the 'soft systems tradition', which places importance on a human constructed "system of interest" (Oreszczyn 2000, p.109) in order to answer three research questions: How can the relationship between members of the wetland conservation groups and the wetlands they preserve be described; What 'triggers' people's participation and involvement in local environmental groups dedicated to wetland preservation and restoration; How do the groups advocate for wetlands and does the government play a role in this advocacy? Using cultural models (Kempton et al. 1995), I argued that definitions and representations of nature are contested. Notions of place and dwelling, of actor-network theory (Cloke and Jones 2002), and of enclosure/restoration (Watts 2004, Elliot 1986), help to explain how people form their representations of nature within wetlands. Social capital theory (Putnam 2000) helped explain participants' involvement in wetland groups. Participants were involved in the wetland protection groups in order to express personal values, skills and identity through the group (Bishop and Hoggett 1986). Most individuals had a high sense of agency, and joined a wetland protection group because they believed that collective action is more effective than individual action (Taylor 2000, Horvath 1999). Groups that meet regularly and frequently, such as the Travis Wetland Trust, have more cohesive inter-personal bonds and individuals are more committed to the group than groups that meet infrequently (Lawler et al. 2000, Lawler 2001, 2002). This connection between group activities and positive emotion (Lawler 2002) explains why most members of the Travis Wetland Trust identified group involvement as the most important aspect of their involvement. In contrast, Otipua Wetland groups' members, who are divided between the Otipua Wetland Charitable Trust Board and the Friends of the Otipua Wetland, were more likely to name restoration or service as their primary reason for involvement in the group. Advocacy was considered part of group action, although it was not officially included in either group's objectives. Individuals believed they advocated in three ways: through education activities, communication regarding the wetland and through the restoration of the work itself. Individual advocacy translates into group advocacy, since the groups are viewed as vehicles for furthering individual concerns, and acting as a group gives a better chance of achieving results (Horvath 1999). The government played a role in both groups, and all parties maintained a positive working relationship with local government. A cooperative relationship with governments is essential for increasing public awareness of wetlands (Horvath 1999).