SOC100H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Overconsumption, Resource Mobilization, Environmental Racism

• School: UTM
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC100H5
• Professor: Nathan Innocente

Document Summary

Technology: the practical application of scienti c principles. Normal accident: an accident that occurs inevitably although unpredictably because of the complexity of modern technologies. Risk society: a society in which technology distributes environmental dangers among all categories of the population, although to varying degrees. Global warming: the gradual worldwide increase in average surface temperature (the most serious concern regarding side effects of technology) Technological determinism: the belief that technology is the main factor shaping human history. Environmental concerns are often disputed through politics and media, meaning that for change to occur, social intervention needs to take place. Environmental problems are socially distributed and therefore environmental risks are greater for some groups over others. Environmental racism: the tendency to heap environmental dangers on the disadvantaged, and especially on disadvantaged racial minorities. An example of this in canada was the uranium mine in the northwest territories that was used to make bombs and endangered those living in the area.