Continuities in Sociological Human Ecology

This superb overview of sociological human ecology over the past 50 years engages the subject in terms of conceptual and theoretical issues, and in its empirical application to practical problems. The text focuses on the idea of sustainable development, asking what conditions are necessary for humanity to achieve continued improvement in standards of living. Contributors review issues of demographic change and environmental protection in sketching out the means of managing the Earth's fragile ecosystem in the decades to come. They emphasize that fundamental changes in human patterns of activity and organization are making sustainability an increasingly realistic policy goal.

This superb overview of sociological human ecology over the past 50 years engages the subject in terms of conceptual and theoretical issues, and in its empirical application to practical problems. The text focuses on the idea of sustainable development, asking what conditions are necessary for humanity to achieve continued improvement in standards of living. Contributors review issues of demographic change and environmental protection in sketching out the means of managing the Earth's fragile ecosystem in the decades to come. They emphasize that fundamental changes in human patterns of activity and organization are making sustainability an increasingly realistic policy goal.

Booknews

Fifteen papers present an overview of the field of sociological human ecology within the context of continuity since the 1950 publication of Amos Hawley's . Part I covers conceptual and theoretical bases and includes articles on ecology's contribution to cross- nationality theory, ecological theory of organizational structuring, and ecological approaches to the study of racial and ethnic differentiation and inequality. The second part focuses on more empirical issues such as division of labor in Saudi Arabia and China, agricultural patterns in the U.S., and determinants of declining labor force participation of African-American men from 1940-80. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.