(ENV1e) Environmental Sociology V

This session invited papers applying sociological perspectives to the study of environmental issues, and environmental sociological analyses of societal issues. In the midst of a global social movement cohering around the climate crisis, political and socio-economic debates over extractive industries, and related policy discussions, there exists opportunities for sociologists to contribute to understandings of the environment as a social construct, a political entity, a physical place/space, a component of social structure, and more. Tags: Environnement

Organizer: Ken Caine, University of Alberta; Chair: Ken Caine, University of Alberta

Presentations

Taslima Nasrin, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University

Disaster Risk Reduction in Strengthening Community Resilience in the Wetland: Insight from Tahirpur, Sunamganj, Bangladesh

Climate emergencies are becoming more serious hazards to the global society and bearing a disproportionate burden to the low-income nations day by day. However, due to its geographical location and physiographic traits, Bangladesh has been prone to natural calamities since its birth. And the people of wetlands of the country are more vulnerable because of flash flood which occurs every year and damages millions of tons of agricultural crops and worsen the socio-economic status of the people besides creating other problems. This flash flood and other natural disasters can’t be stopped but the miseries of the people can be minimized through proper disaster preparedness. This preparedness also help the affected people to bounce back. The objective of the study was to examine the importance of disaster risk reduction in strengthening community resilience in the wetland. Social exclusion theory has been used as a theoretical lens. For conducting the study, qualitative methodology has been adopted and data were collected through in-depth interviews (IDI) and Key Informant Interviews (KII). The findings of the study revealed that disaster risk reduction can be an effective concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causes of disasters, such as reduced exposure to hazards, decreased vulnerability of people and property, wise land and environmental management, and improved preparedness for adverse events. Therefore, attention from the policymakers and NGOs (National and International both) is required to strengthen community resilience through Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and lessen the sufferings of these intersectional marginalized people.

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Non-presenting author: Mustak Ahammed, Jahangirnagor University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Rezvaneh Erfani, University of Alberta

Intersectional ecofeminisms: Fighting for a "safe space" in climate activist circles in Istanbul and Cairo

In this paper, I discuss my explorations on gender and environmental and climate activism in Istanbul and Cairo through an intersectionality theoretical lens. My main argument is that climate activism in the Middle Eastern context is inseparable from feminist activism. I draw on 40 in-depth semi-structured interviews that I conducted with Egyptian and Turkish environmental and climate activists. Many women mentioned their experiences of sexual harassment within activist groups or because of their activism. In this presentation, I explore their stories with an intersectional lens and showed how these strong women claim safe spaces within and beyond activist circles. I also address these stories of resistance and resilience and how these women activists change and challenge gender roles and norms in the larger society. 

Angel Chow, University of Regina

The bigger the better: Understanding households' vehicle choice preferences and willingness to pay for zero-emission vehicles in Saskatchewan

The transportation sector is a major source of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, constituting 24% of total emissions in Canada. It is also one of the largest sources of air pollution. Air pollutants from transportation emissions are associated with acid rain, smog, increased health risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and premature deaths. Among the Canadian provinces, Saskatchewan has the highest GHG emissions per capita – 67.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is 246% above the national average. The transportation sector accounts for 15% of the total GHG emissions in the province. Electrifying transportation is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and decarbonize the transportation sector. Studies show that zero-emission vehicles, especially battery-powered vehicles, are effective in reducing gasoline consumption and mitigating carbon dioxide emissions from passenger transportation. For example, a battery-powered vehicle (Chevrolet, Bolt) emits three times fewer carbon dioxide per mile than a gasoline pickup truck (Ford F-150). Saskatchewan is an automobile-dependent province due to low population density, inaccessibility of public transportation in rural areas, affordability of private transportation and limited services of public transit in cities. Recent research shows a lack of awareness of passenger transportation emissions, particularly the impacts of large vehicles on the environment, in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan households have preferences for conventional vehicles and believe that it is justifiable to drive large vehicles, such as SUVs and pickup trucks, given the snowy winter. They also prefer vehicles with larger passenger room for comfortable ride and cargo space for sports activities and road trips. The preferences for large vehicles are reflected in new vehicle registration data of Saskatchewan where pickup trucks and SUVs contributed to 39% and 50% of sales respectively in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. With preferences for large vehicles, limited choices of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) models hinder Saskatchewan households’ transition to electric mobility. Of the 65 ZEV models eligible for federal financial incentives, only three models are large vehicles. Saskatchewan households also encounter other challenges of ZEV adoption, including low ZEV knowledge, lack of awareness of federal ZEV incentives and mandate, inadequate public charging infrastructure and ZEV supply, and misperceptions and disinformation of electric vehicles. These obstacles contribute to the low ZEV adoption rate of less than 2% in Saskatchewan, compared with 16% in British Columbia and 12% in Quebec in 2022. The purposes of this study are to explore Saskatchewan households’ stated vehicle preferences, identify social and psychological determinants driving and hindering ZEV adoption and examine policy implications on ZEV uptake in Saskatchewan. This study will pursue a mixed-method approach by utilizing a random utility model and a behavioural model. Based on the random utility model (McFadden, 1974), a discrete choice experiment will examine individuals’ stated preferences for vehicles by estimating their willingness-to-pay for an extra unit of an attribute and understand how they make trade-offs among various vehicle attributes and quantify estimates of latent demand for ZEVs. Individuals make decisions among available alternatives in which the highest utility or satisfaction is derived (i.e., utility maximization). The outcomes vary on the attributes of the alternatives and individual socio-economic characteristics. However, the rational choice theory tends to oversimplify human behaviour and ignore psychological and sociological factors under the assumption of rationality. In particular, vehicle purchase decisions are complex, not necessarily based on ration choice, with preferences on symbolic, societal and non-financial aspects. The current literature demonstrates the effects of social influence on vehicle choices of conventional and alternative fuel vehicles and the association between electric vehicle ownership of early adopters and social meaning. As such, this study will address the limitations by adopting a behavioural model – the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), in conjunction with a discrete choice experiment to render a more comprehensive understanding of households’ vehicle preferences. The Theory of Planned Behaviour will explore how socio-psychological factors and government policies influence individuals’ intentions to buy ZEVs. This study will collect data by conducting an online survey, the Saskatchewan household vehicle survey and recruit about 500 participants in Saskatchewan by an online panel. Multinominal logit model and multiple linear regression model will be used to analyze data for the discrete choice experiment and the socio-psychological determinants of vehicle purchase intentions.

Dan Prisk, University of British Columbia

Presenting environmental solutions in Canadian newspapers

Solutions to global environmental problems require significant social and economic change. Enacting such change will require tactics that generate broad support for what is a politically divisive topic. Experimental research shows that developing support for environmental action is most effective when the impacts appear close to home, but those with power to act are often not those most directly impacted. As such, it is challenging to develop broad support for effective solutions. This paper contributes to the fields of environmental communication and environmental justice by asking how Canadian newspapers portray solutions to environmental injustice. I answer this question through a thematic analysis of 28 articles published between 2014 and 2023 on the subjects of environment, marginalization, and health. The goal in my analysis was to identify key themes in the ways that environmental problems and solutions are discussed relative to climate justice. To do this, I conduct a qualitative analysis using a mix of deductive and inductive coding, memoing, and storyboarding. My results show that the dominant representation of environmental solutions is as the space of government action. Newspapers in Canada portray a faith in contemporary governance structures to successfully act on problems of environmental justice. However, the Canadian government is often compared unfavourably to international states and extra-state institutions in this regard, allowing for a critique of Canadian government within the framework of Western democratic politics. This faith in contemporary governance sits in tension with an emergent theme of more radical solutions, centred on Indigeneity. Here Indigenous people and ideas are often explicitly marked in discussions of problems and solutions in ways that holds them up as spaces of potential solutions outside the norms of settler-colonial Canada. In contrast to the more systemic view of solutions, the dominant depiction of environmental problems is as local and small scale, with the effects happening close to the problems themselves. This is more closely tied to the presence of Indigeneity, as both themes connect individual and community health to the immediate space in which they exist. The acclaim of action occurring in other places is problematic for its lack of critical engagement with the effects of that action (or lack thereof); however, as a device, it allows newspapers to engage with a discussion of systemic solutions that holds the Canadian government to account for its lack of action, without questioning broader social and political structures. We are given moderate solutions to radical problems. These results challenge established knowledge that shows media coverage diverging from accepted climate science. They contribute to a growing body of literature that shows contemporary news reporting gradually moving inline with best practices from research on a challenging topic. The broad focus on systemic over individual solutions reflect the scale of action that is required to counter global environmental harms. A scale that necessitates broad social and economic change: we can not shift towards a socio-economic pathway that limits global warming and provides a socially desirable world through recycling and green consumption. The problems of environmental harms are depicted in a way that is localized and human, such that the social distance between reader and subject is reduced, generating conditions amenable to broad political support for action. Taken in context of prior research this shows an overall trend for environmental coverage to converge towards accurate and effective reporting practices. This paper is particularly relevant to environmental sociology and the theme of CSA this year as effectively acting on environmental problems is key to building sustainable shared futures. The socio-economic pathways described by the International Panel on Climate Change require significant social change if we are to limit warming to 1.5c. This is daunting, but also presents an opportunity given the changes describe a world of greater social and economic justice. How such problems and solutions are presented in newspapers is a crucial aspect of structuring the action that occurs.

Laisa Massarenti Hosoya, University of Windsor

Indigenous Legislation in Brazil: a pathway for Jusdiversity and decolonization

Considering that Legal Pluralism or Jusdiversity refers to the coexistence and interaction of multiple normative systems within indigenous communities, grounded in their own traditions and values, this study contemplates the potential for a decolonial transition from an Indigenista to Indigenous Law in Brazil. When delving into Legal Pluralism in Brazil, a crucial starting point is considering the imperial and republican history of the Brazilian State, which imparted a colonizing and assimilationist character onto Indigenous Peoples. Their condition was perceived as a transitional state, subject to transformation from savagery to civilization, non-integration to integration, and as acculturated beings in need of assimilation into Western society. A key distinction emerges between "Indigenous Law" and "Indigenista Law." The former is grounded in the rights inherent to indigenous communities, shaped by their customs or customary law, while the latter comprises a set of regulations formulated by nonindigenous individuals for Indigenous Peoples. To explore these concepts and propositions, this paper adopts a methodology centred on an extensive literature review in the social sciences, alongside an examination of both international and Brazilian legislation. Special attention is given to the National Ordinance GM/MPI No. 103, issued on April 18, 2023, by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, establishing a working group of Indigenous jurists tasked with analyzing and proposing revisions to Act 6001/73, known as the "Indian Statute." The research concludes that despite the significance of these legal initiatives, traditional judicial policy decisions have frequently underestimated the intricacies of community justice. Existing research on the topic tends to be fragmented or confined to alternative conflict resolution mechanisms, overlooking the diverse and specific nature of community justice practices crucial to societal reproduction. Notably, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil has been fostering a secure and inclusive space for dialogue with various indigenous groups, facilitating discussions on ways to integrate indigenous justice and its legal pluralism.