This course will examine various environmental issues connected with contemporary society. It will address the connections, relationships and interactions between society and the environment. The major theoretical perspectives and methods used by sociologists to understand environmental issues will be explored. It will examine large social structures and organizations and how individuals affect nature and the environment. The impact of globalization on the environment, and its influence on diverse peoples will be discussed. Other topics may include population growth, sustainability, environmental justice and racism, social policy, humans' relationship with the natural environment, and activism related to environmental movements.