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In this presentation, Dr. Dana Fisher first highlights a theoretical distinction between environmental sociology and the environmental state. She defines key concepts in environmental sociology—the treadmill of production, overshoot, and metabolic rift—all of which see environmental degradation as related to economic growth. She then defines key concepts of the environmental state approach—ecological modernization, ecological reflectivity, and the world policy perspective—and notes that the environmental state approach sees environmental protection as a source of economic growth. She concludes by highlighting the differences in focus, assumptions, and research approaches between the two paradigms.
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About the Presenters
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Dr. Dana R. Fisher is the Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity at American University as well as a Professor in the School of International Service. Prior to that she was a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland. During her time with SESYNC, Dana served as a mentor for postdoctoral fellow Lorien Jasny; contributing to the Sociology Immersion Series as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar; leading a synthesis project on non-state actors in environmental governance as a Principal Investigator; and taking a sabbatical from her teaching duties to...
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Dr. Dana R. Fisher is the Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity at American University as well as a Professor in the School of International Service. Prior to that she was a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland. During her time with SESYNC, Dana served as a mentor for postdoctoral fellow Lorien Jasny; contributing to the Sociology Immersion Series as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar; leading a synthesis project on non-state actors in environmental governance as a Principal Investigator; and taking a sabbatical from her teaching duties to spend time at SESYNC as a Research Fellow. Dana’s research focuses on democracy, civic participation, activism, protest, and environmental policy making. Her recent studies have looked at the youth climate movement, the movement against systemic racism, and the American Resistance. She has authored over 65 peer-reviewed research papers and book chapters, and she has written 6 books, including Activism, Inc. (Stanford University Press 2006) and American Resistance (Columbia University Press 2019). Dana has also appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS Newshour, and she has written for the popular press, including the Washington Post, TIME Magazine, Politico, Business Insider, and the American Prospect. She has presented her work to the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; federal agencies; foundations; presidential campaigns; and other political organizations. She is currently serving as a Contributing Author for Working Group 3 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report (IPCC AR6) writing a new section about citizen engagement and civic activism. For more information, see: www.drfisher.umd.edu.
External Links: www.danarfisher.com
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Supporting Materials
Reading list:
Fisher, D. R. and Freudenburg, W. R. (2004). Ecological efficiency, disproportionality and methodological precision: On the importance of linking methods to theory.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251734786_Ecological_Efficiency_Disproportionality_and_Methodological_Precision_on_the_Importance_of_Linking_Methods_to_Theory.