Abstract
The article begins by summarizing sociological approaches to (1) ecologically unequal exchange, and (2) foreign investment dependence and environmental load displacement. These areas of sociological inquiry consist of structural theories and cross-national statistical analyses that test hypotheses derived from both approaches. It concludes by briefly describing sociological research on global civil society and the environment, with a focus on the world society approach to environmental change. This area of theory and research provides some insights on ways in which global and transnational civil society groups, such as environmental international nongovernmental organizations, can partially mitigate the environmental harms caused by ecologically unequal exchanges and environmental load displacements.Key words: ecologically unequal exchange, environmental load displacement, foreign investment dependence
Highlights
Assessing the political-economic drivers of global environmental change is a multidisciplinary effort
I briefly describe sociological research on global civil society and the environment, with a focus on the world society approach to environmental change. This area of theory and research provides some insights on ways in which global and transnational civil society groups, such as environmental international nongovernmental organizations, can partially mitigate the environmental harms resulting from political-economic processes and interrelationships identified by scholars of ecologically unequal exchange and environmental load displacement
Recognition of the structured ecological relations between countries is articulated through the theory of 'ecologically unequal exchange', a multidisciplinary approach that describes the unequal material exchange relations and consequent ecological interdependencies within the world economy, all of which are tied to disparities in socio-economic development and power relations embedded within the interstate system (e.g. Hornborg 1998a, 1998b, 2001, 2009, 2012, 2014; Jorgenson 2006; Jorgenson and Clark 2009; Martinez-Alier 2007; Martinez-Alier et al 2010; Rice 2007)
Summary
Assessing the political-economic drivers of global environmental change is a multidisciplinary effort. While different disciplines have unique theoretical perspectives that influence research and scholarly discussions, various perspectives that are central to understanding the dynamic couplings of social and environmental inequalities cross disciplinary boundaries Among such cross-cutting perspectives, few if any have gained more momentum in recent years than the ecologically unequal exchange and environmental load displacement traditions. These traditions are both far reaching in terms of substance and relevance, and both have produced rich bodies of inquiry with real world implications. Both perspectives include a variety of complementary yet distinct approaches with roots in different social science disciplines, including ecological economics, critical human ecology, and environmental sociology. This area of theory and research provides some insights on ways in which global and transnational civil society groups, such as environmental international nongovernmental organizations, can partially mitigate the environmental harms resulting from political-economic processes and interrelationships identified by scholars of ecologically unequal exchange and environmental load displacement
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