Sociological Perspectives on Laudato Si’ – Towards a Coherent Social and an Ecological Conversion

Abstract

The article deals with some of the major theoretical and methodological strategies used by sociologists to better understand the relationship between humans and their natural world and to identify the ecologically-relevant features of modern nations and their impact on global climate change. Outlining the current state of sociological knowledge and opportunities for future research about the social causes of global climate change we have to put papal encyclical letter »Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home« and global climate change into social light of theoretical insights from the broader discipline of sociology in a number of areas, including micro and macro foundations of social inequality, population and migration research and models of globalization. At the heart of the encyclical Laudato Si’, there is a big understanding of human kind, common good and nature where Pope Francis introduces the term of »Integral Ecology« explaining that our nature is created by God and surrounded by the gifts of creation. Accordingly, there is a growing recognition of the need to better incorporate social science analyses into climate change research efforts according to the integral ecology in encyclical Laudato Si’.