Environmental Sociology in India from Thought to Discipline

Abstract

Environmental sociology began in the United States and was subsequently introduced to Europe. Although environmental issues have been discussed and debated in India since the 1970s, sociologists in India have not paid as much attention to environmental issues as they have in other countries. This paper comprehensively analyses sociological viewpoints on India-specific environmental concerns and themes using the United States and Europe as references. For this purpose, it analyses environmental concerns using historical and comparative methods, academic research, and institutional frameworks. This paper examines how this conceptual framework might be used to review environmental sociology in the Indian context. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the relevant literature, this paper recommends expanding environmental sociology in India to the level of natural sciences as practised in the United States and Europe and concentrating on emerging climate change concerns.