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4 - Using Geographic Data in Environmental Sociology

from Part I - Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2020

By
Rachel A. Rosenfeld  and
Katherine J. Curtis
Edited by
Katharine Legun ,
Julie C. Keller ,
Michael Carolan  and
Michael M. Bell
Katharine Legun
Affiliation:
Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
Julie C. Keller
Affiliation:
University of Rhode Island
Michael Carolan
Affiliation:
Colorado State University
Michael M. Bell
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
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Summary

The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of how environmental sociologists can use spatial data and analytical techniques to advance environmental sociology. This chapter begins with the premise that individuals are embedded within specific environmental contexts and, consequently, spatial data and analyses are tools that help identify environmental forces relevant to human society. We assert that the environment is inherently spatial, and that the explicit consideration of one location relative to another is a distinguishing feature of “spatial” studies. This chapter begins with an overview of general definitions, and foundational theoretical and methodological concepts. We then highlight compelling spatially-explicit work in the environmental sociology literature on migration, land use, environmental justice, sustainable livelihoods, and poverty. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of future possibilities to enhance theories on human–environment interactions by incorporating spatial data. Our overarching aim is to elucidate the relational nature between locations, the environment, and human-environment processes in order to encourage the use of spatial tools and to promote new ways of thinking spatially.

Keywords

Spatial thinkingspatial dataspatial autocorrelationsocial inequalityenvironmental justice
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Environmental Sociology , pp. 61 - 84
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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