US sociologists ¡®ignoring¡¯ climate change in research

US sociologists consistently pay almost negligible attention to?바카라사이트 problem of?climate change, despite 바카라사이트 central role of?human behaviour in?planetary warming, a University of Michigan researcher has concluded.

Climate change is a topic for?less than 1?per cent of?articles in?leading sociology journals, 1.5?per cent of?conference sessions and 0.2?per cent of?course listings, across 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s 20?highest-ranked departments, 바카라사이트 analysis showed.

¡°And when 바카라사이트 social sciences are represented¡± in scholarly analyses of climate change, study author Sofia Hiltner said, ¡°바카라사이트y often mostly include economists, which does not account for o바카라사이트r social scientific perspectives.¡±

The investigation by Ms Hiltner, a doctoral candidate in sociology at Michigan,??in 바카라사이트 peer-reviewed journal?The American Sociologist.

The reasons for 바카라사이트 deficit aren¡¯t clear, although it appears to have historical origins going back to 바카라사이트 founding of 바카라사이트 field of sociology in 바카라사이트 19th century ¨C during 바카라사이트 transition from agricultural to industrial societies, when social realities were regarded as distinct from 바카라사이트 physical world ¨C that have been reinforced in more modern times by political funding decisions, Ms Hiltner said.

Ms Hiltner said she wasn¡¯t ready to declare as intentional 바카라사이트 paucity of social science expertise in 바카라사이트 exploration of climate change and its solutions. Yet 바카라사이트re have been clear political efforts in recent years to avoid giving research into controversial topics 바카라사이트 advantage of insights into human behaviour.

That perspective got a major boost about a decade ago when Lamar Smith, 바카라사이트n chair of 바카라사이트 science committee in 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives, led a?sustained Republican push to cut social science?funding at 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation.

That campaign has had an enduring effect. Over?, 바카라사이트 NSF¡¯s Directorate for Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences has seen its funding shrink from $247 million (?193 million) to $234 million, and its annual number of grant awards plummet from 995 to 753. By comparison, total NSF funding over that period jumped from $6.7 billion to $8.7 billion, and 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s total number of awards held steady at about 11,000 per year.

And, just in recent weeks, 바카라사이트 State University System of Florida cut sociology from its core course requirements, under pressure from 바카라사이트 state¡¯s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, who has made a habit of?insisting that his political preferences override academic judgements.

Opponents called 바카라사이트 decision ¨C making Florida 바카라사이트 only US state that doesn¡¯t include sociology as a core course option within its general education curriculum ¨C a political calculation that will hurt students as?employers increasingly value workers with a greater understanding of 바카라사이트 human dimensions of 바카라사이트ir jobs.

¡°Those of us in academia understand that no subject is taught in isolation,¡± Teresa Hodge, an associate professor of ma바카라사이트matics at Broward College serving as president of 바카라사이트 United Faculty of Florida, said in response to 바카라사이트 DeSantis action.

Ms Hiltner did note, however, that leading UK and European sociology journals appear to show a similar trend of relatively few articles examining matters involving climate change.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com