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Publication Social Thought and Research, Volume 34 (2017): Front Matter(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2017-05-01)Publication Book Review: After Nature: A Politics for the Anthropocene(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2017-05-01) Lipsman, Jacob E.Publication A Bridge to Challenging Environmental Inequality: Intersectionality, Environmental Justice, and Disaster Vulnerability(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2017-05-01) Ryder, Stacia S.This article explores the origins and expansions of environmental justice and disaster vulnerability literature. It proposes an intersectional framework as a tool for bridging these fields of research—fields that have moved forward primarily on parallel, yet rarely overlapping paths. The article explores both practical and theoretical issues that stem from the lack of communication between environmental justice and disaster vulnerability literatures, positing that disaster vulnerabilities exist first as issues of environmental justice. This is followed by a discussion of interlocking systems of oppression, which is critical for understanding the root of inequality in both disaster and environmental justice contexts. Focusing on the environmental oppression that underlies these contexts provides a potential basis to merge and improve these literatures at a critical time of increasing rates of environmental risks and disasters. By utilizing an intersectional framework to merge these areas of research, it is possible to develop a more holistic understanding of environmental harms and disaster vulnerabilities, while encouraging more just and equitable planning, preparedness, response, and recovery activities.Publication A Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Anthropogenic Drivers of Environmental Impact For 30 Chinese Provinces Across three Regions Between 1997 and 2009(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2017-05-01) Hao, FengGrowing evidence has shown substantial threats to China’s environment. After exceeding the United States in 2006, China became the world’s largest CO2 emitter and accounted for 29 percent of global CO2 emissions in 2013. In this paper, I adopt perspectives from environmental sociology and examine the anthropogenic drivers of environmental disruption. I draw on the Impact = Population × Affluence × Technology (IPAT) framework and the Treadmill of Production (TOP) perspective to ground the analyses theoretically. I then analyze data for 30 Chinese provinces both temporally (from 1997 to 2009) and spatially (across the east, central, and west regions). From a temporal perspective, the findings suggest a concomitant growth of CO2 emissions, GDP per capita, and population. From a spatial perspective, Global Information System (GIS) analysis displays the overlapping of high CO2 emissions, GDP per capita, and population in East China in comparison with Central and West China. Through calculating and mapping the statistics, the GIS results can inform the spatial variations of environmental outcomes and complement the results from longitudinal analysis. Overall, the findings confirm the IPAT framework and reinforce the TOP argument. These findings also expand the existing cross-national inquiries about climate change.Publication The "World System" Of the Paris Agreement: Exploring The Construction, Dissemination, And Implementation of Climate Knowledge Through Redd(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2017-05-01) Bixler, R. PatrickClimate change is one of the most pressing social and environmental issues of the 21st century, and will require innovative thinking to understand its complexity. The Paris Agreement, negotiated at the 2015 21st Conference of Parties, marked a monumental international agreement toward collective action on climate change. Through world systems theory and global value chain analysis, this paper explores how climate knowledge is co-constructed, differentially distributed, and consistently negotiated in the frontiers among diverse knowledge systems. These theoretical frameworks allow us to explore how power is manifest in knowledge systems. I argue that this theoretical approach may more broadly acknowledge the role that organizations play when navigating the complex field of climate change. World system theory and global value chains is used to understand the multi-scalar nature of Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) programs. In doing so, a new framework is proposed for grasping the complex nature of climate knowledge, governance, and policy implementationPublication Interview with Abigail Saguy(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2017-05-01) Jones, Emily Virginia MorrowDr. Abigail Saguy is a professor of Sociology at UCLA who specializes in Cultural Sociology, Gender, Sociology of Law, Political Sociology, Comparative Sociology, Health Policy, and Qualitative Methods.Publication Interview with Alex Stoner(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 2017-05-01) Alvord, Daniel RyanDr. Alex Stoner is assistant professor of Sociology at Salisbury University. His work focuses on critical theory and political economy of the environment. His work has appeared in journals such as Logos, and Critical Sociology. Dr. Stoner is also the recipient of the 2013 Albert Szymanski and T.R. Young Graduate Student Paper Award, given out by the American Sociological Association’s Marxist Sociology Section. Dr. Stoner joined us to discuss his current work on the critique of the concept of the Anthropocene, as well as the need to develop a critical theory of the environment