Sociology of Environment – DAS 509

Assignment 1

Discuss the relevance of Environmental

Sociology to understand the relationship
between man and the nature

Name: Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake

Student No: 2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

The contemporary environmental situation and its root causes

According to Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology, carbon dioxide (a

greenhouse gas) is rising at an alarming rate. During the 1990s, carbon dioxide emissions
increased approximately 1.3% each year. But since 2000, the rate has increased to 3.3%
per year, with an estimated annual global CO2 emissions increase of 35% from 1990 to
2006. The World Health Organization reports that living and breathing daily in Cairo is
like smoking 20 cigarettes a day and there are 18 million people living in this city. The
EPA estimates that tightening ozone (smog) and fine particle air (soot) standards would
result in 9,000 fewer hospital admissions, 250,000 cases of respiratory problems, and
60,000 cases of bronchitis and save tens of thousands of lives each year. Rainforests once
covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate
that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years. Experts
estimate that we are losing 137 plants, animal and insect species every single day due to
rainforest deforestation.

Many incidents of grave environmental damages, health risks are being reported
everywhere in the world today. The destruction and the effects of environmental damage
are global and in spite of caste, class, gender, escaping from these damages is becoming
impossible. The destruction is global in scale and deep and long lasting in its effect where
the consequences are faced even by the next generations. The alarming amounts of call
for protests, movements and other forms of action that are emerging to 'save the very
human kind' by saving the environment and animals are growing visibly.

All this happened within less than 1000 century – a result of mankind over
determining its value and power a nature and its contemporary effects can be traced back
to the emergence of modernity and its subsequent developments. Mondernism created a
new sphere of thought process. This era gave rise to the dominant set of attitudes towards
nature and environmental issues that emerged in the western society. Questioning of
God’s existence, the scientific over-termination towards human progress and the
reduction of nature to insignificant level all came together as a whole complementing
each other. This was further supported by technological advancement and new scientific
inventions.

During the era of classical science more than the subjective knowledge objective
knowledge was considered as 'true'. Therefore progress was built upon the secure basis of
fact advancing from them towards greater and greater truth and that this truth would be
the way to obtain progress in humanity's material circumstances. These concepts were
greatly supported by many thinkers of that era. Descartes can be identified as one among
the many.

According to Descartes separate man from nature since humans are thinking being. He
further separates the body from mind and argues that the body could be analyzed in
components whereas the mind cannot be analysed in components (during his era).

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 2

 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
Descartes thereby introduced the most fundamental dualism in modern thought between
mind and matter. Matter was composed of primary objectively knowable qualities and the
mind was subjective. This very cartesian dualism had great implications on the
relationship between man and nature that existed at that time since nature became
metaphysical objects separated from humans. Relating to environment as external other
resulted in creating a number of very deep rooted affects within the social system when
the linear perspective became the world view.

How the western societies related to nature is evident through the many industries,
excavations, experiments, green revolution, chemicals, carried out on mother nature.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 3

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
Further their interference with the colonial communities relationships and worships on
nature clearly voice out what the western world practiced - that environmental problems
must be approached and managed scientifically objectively and rationally since nature is
machine-like and is open to control and manipulation for the benefit of the mankind.
Even the western religions support this concept - even Judaeo-christianity that supported
in preserving environment, preaches that humans are separate from and superior to the
rest of nature, which is there to be used and dominated by humankind.

This impact of modernism’s belief that there is an order of nature which can be traced
in every detailed occurrence in itself overdetermines man’s intellectual capacity over the

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 4

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
very being of nature. A thinking process that have had great impact on the field of
development leading to wide-spreading the environmental destructions that were
generated in the west. The green revolution and the introduction of the ‘magic seeds’
caused long lasting damages to the crops and also to the soils of many agrarian societies.
In addition it also managed to eliminate many of the natural seeds grown in the asian and
african regions.

The case of the Sahelian famine and drought is another good example where
development and anthropologists have failed to provide sustainable support to these
communities who have been having an integrated life with the environment. Drought is

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 5

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
not a new phenomenon in Sahel. But the famine and drought between 1969 & 1973
causing nearly 250000 deaths which according to Jeremy Swift was not an environmental
change but a disaster caused by humans. He argues that this was an effect due to
overstocking and overgrazing efforts to extend to extend intensive agriculture into
ecologically fragile zones. The economy of the Sahelians was well adopted to the dry
environment and nomadic pastoral mode of production which was disturbed by
development planners introducing changes in the 20C. Through this, Sahelians adopted to
a more sedentary life and to the market economy and a less weather resistant lifestyle.
Despite the short term benefit the community gained from development projects their
ability to cope with the very environmental changes they lived in was destroyed.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 6

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would

Introducing environment into sociology

Environment has often been a focus in the fields of geography, biology and ecology. in
the 19C the effects of the geographical environment on the human condition was a topic
of considerable scholarly interest. H T Buckle, the British historian can be considered as
a leading geographical determinist during this time. He believed that the influence of the
geographical environment is most direct and therefore strongest upon primitive people
but declines with the advance of modern culture. Ellsworth Huntington was another
leading geographical determinist. Sorokin refers to its fallacious theories, fictitious

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 7

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
correlations and its overestimation of the role of the geographical environment while of
course at the same time mentioning the necessity of taking geography into consideration
when analyzing a social phenomenon. The natural world also entered into early sociology
through Darwinianism concept of evolution, natural selection and the survival of the
fittest concepts.

The failure of the geographic determinism to even mark its presence ended in negating
any biological -environmental explanation. Further the mesmerised benefits of economic
development, individual modernity, most sociologists tend to neglect natural environment
as something that needs to be overcome. Even when the seriousness of environmental

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 8

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
destruction was acknowledged, many of the leading sociological theorists tend to focus
on their traditional spheres.

The interests shown by the sociologists on environment increased since mid 1970s.
Environmental concerns both the origins and nature of environmental deterioration and
the emergence of environment centered politics have been articulated in sociological
writings. Interests were also build regionally and internationally. Sociological studies of
the connection between nature and society is now institutionalized as part of a recognized
sub-discipline. Theoretical diversity among environmental sociology are also increasing.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 9

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
The process of 'greening' previously existing theories. Some scholars outlines that
environmental sociologist have embraced biology's orientation.

A significant problem for sociologists who are researching environment has been to
define what constitutes the main object of study. Buttel cited five key areas of
environmental sociological study - a) new human ecology b) environmental attitudes,
values and behaviours c) the environmental movements d) technological risk and risk
assessment e) political economy of the environment and environmental politics.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 10

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
Catton and Dunlap's outline 3 distinct visions of sociological practice traditional
sociology, environmental sociology and ecological sociology. Dominant western
worldview assumes that people are fundamentally different from all other creatures on
earth over which they have domination as such as masters of their destiny, they can
choose their goals and learn to do whatever is necessary to achieve them since the world
is vast and provides unlimited opportunities for humans. Human Exemptionalism
Paradigm assumes that humans have a cultural heritage in addition to and distinct from
their genetic inheritance and thus are quite unlike all other animal species hence social
and cultural factors including technology are the major determinants of human affairs.
Social and cultural environments are the crucial context of human affairs and the

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 11

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
biophysical environment is largely irrelevant and culture is cumulative thus technological
and social progress can continue indefinitely making all problems ultimately soluble.

New ecological paradigm assumes that despite exceptional characteristics humans remain
one among many species that are interdependently involved in the global ecosystem and
that human affairs are influenced not only by social and cultural factors but also intricate
linkages of causes effect and feedback in the web of nature. Humans live in and
dependent on the biophysical environment that imposes potent physical and biological
restraints on human affairs. Although human interventions may appear to temporarily
extended carrying capacity limits ecological laws cannot be repealed.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 12

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
Man's relationship to environment and environmental sociology: the
future
Past traditions men had and integrated relationship with animal and environment. The
earth was perceived as a living body. Everyone depended on the natural resources to
provide them clean water, air, fruits, shelter, clothes, food, etc. Therefore its was not a
mere ‘looking after’ environment by ‘humans’ it was part of their very existence. The
language, ritual spectacle, image and metaphor became active ways by which people
could transform nature. The rain dances of the red indians, acupuncture, aurvedha,

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 13

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
animism, worship to trees, and many other ritual, myths, beliefs were integrated into the
environmental system.

This does not at any point indicate that the previous societies did not had suppression or
hierarchies in-fact it is the process of struggle against these suppressions that created in
this new liberalist economy and life structure. However, what was unique in this struggle
was that the dominant discourse has neglected the environment when fighting against the
old suppressions and systems.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 14

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
Environmental degradation is a very serious issue that is affecting mankind in the world.
Therefore, more than the theoretical positions, the discussions within the academia, what
matter is the extent people build effort to preserve or conserve the existing environment.
This task becomes tedious and very difficult because the capital way of life and
environmental conservation does not seem to be moving in parallel directions. All
communities who cultivate worship a god who protects them from wild animals, and
seeks his protection before harvesting and will conduct a ceremony after harvesting in
appreciation of god.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 15

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
The process of modernisation and capitalism is directly associated with the rise of secular
values, notions of progress and liberalism that regarded nature as something to be
controlled and manipulated for utilitarian material purposes. This sudden wave of need to
preserve the environment in a capital system just cannot reverse an entire historic process
that is so much inter-twined with the day today life of every human being. The process of
modernization ripped off the relationship man had with the environment not for few years
but over generations. This new generations living in the world today, in the modern city,
has city aspirations created by the media and the market, desiring commodity products
and luxuries and many more. All environmental related things are ‘available for
purchasing’ as commodities therefore their is hardly a link between the modern - man and

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 16

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
his environment except for the concerns and calls for support they learn or see via the
media.

What does living with environment means in the real context in a modern society? It has
been recorded that if the number of cars keeps increasing at its present rate, there will be
over one billion on the road by 2025. The 700 million cars today is producing 900 million
tons of carbon dioxide every year. Will the market logic will stop producing all that is
harmful, or even an individual who will not choose to drive his or own vehicle which also
brings him/her personal pride and prestige, social recognition, convenience for a busy
schedule, etc. We can see many attempts have been made to introduce and promote

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 17

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
emerging trend of going vegetarian, eating organic food, recycling, fair trade concepts
can be outlined as few areas where individuals can really practice preserving the
environment. But still, if we look deeply the true environmental movements that are
emerging in the world today, are deeply linked with the survival of the said community,
eg: narmada dam, chipco movement etc.

Therefore, the most crucial contradiction of our times is the one between
industrial/capitalist mode of production and consumption and development on the one
hand and ecology on the other. There are external constraints to growth which are rapidly
being violated causing loss of physical and metal well-being. As a result their sense of

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 18

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
‘looking-after’ the environment is more out of ‘ethical’ considerations, pity for animals,
or their own health rather than it being a part of their own life.

A powerful critique of the modernization/development agenda is needed to revisit the

damages it is causing to our lives. If we look at many development work, some of the
work contradicts the other. For example, many organizations that support livelihood
programmes promote and encourage communities to use pesticides and weedicides where
as agriculturally sensitive organizations are trying to discourage people to use chemicals.
Therefore, the process has a dual effect - environmental harm from one side and
conservation aspects from another. The sociologists, anthropologists who are working in

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 19

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
these fields does not seem to be outlining, communicating these concerns to preserve
environment.

Therefore it can be argued that a new discussion about the relationship between man and
nature has emerged in the west and also within the academia. Environment destruction is
not a field that should be limited into academia. What needs to be revisited is how much
of the ‘field of environment’ within sociology have actually supported in making a
contribution in saving / conserving the true relationships between man and nature is yet to
be examined.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 20

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
Reference

· Hanningam, John a, 'Environmental Sociolgy', Isssues and theoretical approaches,

in Environmental Sociology, A social Constructionist Perspetive, Routledge,
London 1995
· Munshi Indra, Environment in Sociological Theory, Sociological Bulletin, 49,
2000

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 21

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
· Bowden, Gary, From Environmental to Ecological Sociology University of New
Brunswick-Fredericton
· Jonathan M. Harris and Neva R Goodwin. 2003 Reconcilling Growth and
environment in New thinking in macroeconomic. Northampton: Edward Elgar pp
229-245
· Sharachchandra Lele and Richard B Norgaard. 1996. Sustainability adn the
scientists burdern. In conservation biology, Vol 10. no 2, (april 1996) pp 354-365
· United Nations. 1992, Report of teh United Nations Conferences on Enviroment
adn Developemnt, annex 1, Rio Declartion on Environment adn Developemnt,
pp3-14, June 1993

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 22

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
· World Commission ofn Environmet and Developmet. 1987, Our common future.
· Ogunbameru. O A. 2004, Human-environment Interations: the sociological
perspectives, Journal of Human Ecology, 16 (1) pp.63-68
· Shiva, Vandhana. (1991), Introduction: Ecology movement and conflicts over
natural resoruces in Ecology and Politics of Survival, Sage publishers, New Delhi
· Pre Modern and Modern Ideas about nature and Science: the roots of
technocentrism. (handout distributed- no other information was mentioned.)

Websites:

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 23

2009/PDAS/12
 Sociology of Environment – DAS 509
Assignment 1

arochial cosmopolitanism and the power of nostalgia

Dinah Rajak and Jock Stirrat, CDE, University of Sussex.

People working in the development industry tend to see

themselves as part of a cosmopolitan world. They shift from place
to place, often with alarming speed, and see themselves as bearers
of universal values and forms of knowledge, free of cultural
baggage. They pride themselves on their ability to adjust to alien
and often un-nerving social milieux and in Hannerz’s terms see
themselves as possessing ‘an intellectual and aesthetic stance of
openness towards divergent cultural experiences’.

Yet whilst on one level all this is true, at another the

cosmopolitanism of the development professional is undermined
by an at times crippling parochialism. This is not just a matter of
the ideological and historical origins of the development
discourses with their roots in post-enlightenment thought and the
modernist dream. Perhaps more significantly, it is present in the
lives these people create in the developing world which are
frequently self-conscious efforts to recreate a national identity
through clubs, through other associational forms and through
rituals which stress a distant national identity.

What is striking about these life forms which are created in the
developing world is the way in which they harp back to an
imagined ‘home’, a world which no longer exists and which would
· www.globalissues.com
· www.worldbank.org
· www.undp.org/reprots
· www.un.org/documents

note: i am aware that i have not done my referenceing properly. I wish to inform that this is not a
conscious act to violate copywrite laws, but rather a result of submitting assignemts last mintue.

Nadee Jayaweera Basnayake 24

2009/PDAS/12