Methods of Sustainability Research in the Social Sciences

For scholars and students, Fahy and Rau (environmental geography and political science and sociology, National U. of Ireland, Galway) compile 10 essays contributed by geography, sociology, and social ecology researchers from Europe, who examine new and established quantitative and qualitative research methods and tools for social research that can be applied to the investigation of sustainability problems within the social sciences. Their themes emphasize the idea that the views and actions of individuals are shaped by and reflected in their social, political, and infrastructural context; focus on the relationship between societal development and resource consumption; and address the features of human behavior that have implications for the environment that have not been previously considered. They address the relationship between theory and empirical data, the political relevance and practicability of key approaches to measuring sustainability and sustainable human development, and unconventional approaches to social research methodology and practice. They discuss methodologies and tools for use at the local level among individuals, families, households, and individual organizations and within communities; comparative approaches that measure the sustainability performance of cities, regions, and nation-states; and the issue of time and its significance to sustainability. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)