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ABSTRACT
This paper argues that increasing threats to our survival call for a deeper sociological engagement with environmental issues. The argument is presented in different sections: firstly, the need for a reorientation of the discipline around the complex interrelation and interdependence of society and nature. This reorientation could build on the sociologial work on environmental risks by Ulrich Beck and that on “slow violence” by Rob Nixon, both of which acknowledge the power of class relations. The injustices this involves suggest the need to re-examine sociological research practice from “extracting” information from “informants” to empowering relations of mutual exchange and reciprocity. The challenges this involves are illustrated by an account of “exchange workshops” in mining-affected communities. The paper ends with a call for more sociological involvement in social movements, particularly for a just transition from fossil fuels.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).