Motivation to Teach Social Action:
I am interested in participating in this program because I want to develop more effective ways to create space for students to move from learning about environmental problems to taking meaningful action. In my Environmental Sociology courses, students examine how environmental harms are unevenly distributed across communities and how social institutions, policies, and power relations shape environmental problems. I would like to help students go one step further by giving them opportunities to apply this knowledge to environmental issues affecting New York communities and to consider how they can contribute to positive change in the society in which they live and study.
The Institute's experiential approach, in which students develop and carry out social action campaigns, is especially appealing to me. I hope to learn practical methods for helping students identify locally relevant environmental concerns, develop achievable goals, work collaboratively, engage with community members and institutions, and design strategies for creating change. Ultimately, I would like to develop courses in which students not only understand environmental inequality but also build the skills and confidence to act on environmental issues affecting New York communities.
Course Description:
The social systems in which we live cannot be fully understood without examining how human societies interact with the biophysical environment—a field of inquiry known as environmental sociology. These interactions shape everyday experiences, including the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the work we do. They also unfold through larger social and environmental processes, including fossil fuel extraction, data center development, contested illnesses, natural hazards and disasters, and war.
Environmental change, however, does not affect everyone equally. Some communities benefit from environmental policies and economic development, while others bear disproportionate risks, costs, and disruptions to their health, livelihoods, and quality of life. Drawing on classical and critical readings, documentary films, and real-world case studies, we will examine the social and historical roots of contemporary environmental challenges, investigate their uneven consequences, and explore possibilities for building more sustainable and just futures.
Taught By:
Haisu Huang
PRODiG+ Fellow
Sociology
Stony Brook University
Read profile here.