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The social construction of nature
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attention in the general debate on globalization even though environmentalists have been very successful in capturing the language and imagery of the globe. That both pressure groups and policy makers are now calling for ‘global environmental change’ implies that the problems are global in nature and that any adequate response requires common global action. The author is critical of both assumptions. He contends that various forces are combining to produce fragmentation instead of unity. There are competing visions of the globe’s needs and of its proper future direction. Even the most global environmental problems do not have globally uniform consequences. Furthermore, many commentators in the developing world are highly suspicious of the concept of ‘the global interest’, believing that the term is simply used as a cover for the self-interest of the North. The author argues that we cannot understand the globalization of environmental concerns unless we first understand how global issues are constructed, negotiated, and reworked. The Social Construction of Nature. Klaus Eder. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA; 1996. 244 pp. $75.00 hardcover; $26.95 softcover. This book is a critical examination of the relationship between nature and culture. The author demonstrates that ideas of nature are culturally determined and explains how the interaction between modern industrial societies and nature is increasingly violent and destructive. Through an analysis of symbolism, ritual and taboo, the author questions the view of nature as an object. Showing how nature is socially constructed, the work presents a critique of Marx and Durkheim while offering a radical reinterpretation of the relation between society, culture, and nature. The book concludes with an examination of the symbolic basis of the modem politics of nature. Using a culturalist interpretation, the author explains the roles of environmentalism, and the social construction of nature, in the social order and structure.
Riparian Landscapes. George P. Malanson. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY; 1996. 296 pp. $64.95 hardcover; $27.95 softcover. This book examines the ecological systems of streamside and floodplain areas from the perspective of landscape ecology. The specific spatial pattern of riparian vegetation is seen as a result of, and a control on, the ecological, geomorphological, and hydro-
Books
logical processes that operate along rivers. Riparian structures are controlled by the spatial dynamics of channels, flooding, and soil moisture. These dynamics are part of integrated cascades of water sediment, nutrients, and carbon, to which animal and plant species respond in ways that illuminate community structure and competition. The role of the riparian zone in controlling species distribution and abundance is discussed. Intelligent management of these valuable ecological resources is highlighted. The potential for linking hydrological, geomorphological, and ecological simulation models is also explored. This book is of interest to workers in environmental science, ecology, and physical geography.
Comparing Democracies. Elections and Voting in Global Perspective. Lawrence LeDuc, Richard G. Niemi, and Pippa Norris, Eds. Sage Publications, Inc., Newbury Park, CA; 1996.428 pp. $52.00 hardcover; $24.95 softcover.
The Ecology of Health. Identifying Issues and Alternatives. Jennifer Chesworth, Ed. Sage Publications, Inc., Newbury Park, CA; 1996. 338 pp. $46.00 hardcover; $22.95 softcover.
Changing the Face of the Earth. Culture, Environment, History. Second Edition. I.G. Simmons. Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge, MA; 1996. 464 pp. $25.95 softcover.
Environmental Aesthetics. Ideas, Politics and Planning. J. Douglas Porteous. Routledge, New York, NY; 1996. 290 pp. $69.95 hardcover; $22.95 softcover.
Nutrition Accuracy in PopuIar Magazines (19921994). Diane Woznicki. The American Council on Science and Health, 1995 Broadway, 2”d Floor, New York, NY 10023; 1996. 15 pp. $3.85 softcover.
Accessing Technology Briefing. Proceedings. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 906, Washington, D.C. 20036; 1996.33 pp.
attention in the general debate on globalization even though environmentalists have been very successful in capturing the language and imagery of the globe. That both pressure groups and policy makers are now calling for ‘global environmental change’ implies that the problems are global in nature and that any adequate response requires common global action. The author is critical of both assumptions. He contends that various forces are combining to produce fragmentation instead of unity. There are competing visions of the globe’s needs and of its proper future direction. Even the most global environmental problems do not have globally uniform consequences. Furthermore, many commentators in the developing world are highly suspicious of the concept of ‘the global interest’, believing that the term is simply used as a cover for the self-interest of the North. The author argues that we cannot understand the globalization of environmental concerns unless we first understand how global issues are constructed, negotiated, and reworked. The Social Construction of Nature. Klaus Eder. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA; 1996. 244 pp. $75.00 hardcover; $26.95 softcover. This book is a critical examination of the relationship between nature and culture. The author demonstrates that ideas of nature are culturally determined and explains how the interaction between modern industrial societies and nature is increasingly violent and destructive. Through an analysis of symbolism, ritual and taboo, the author questions the view of nature as an object. Showing how nature is socially constructed, the work presents a critique of Marx and Durkheim while offering a radical reinterpretation of the relation between society, culture, and nature. The book concludes with an examination of the symbolic basis of the modem politics of nature. Using a culturalist interpretation, the author explains the roles of environmentalism, and the social construction of nature, in the social order and structure.
Riparian Landscapes. George P. Malanson. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY; 1996. 296 pp. $64.95 hardcover; $27.95 softcover. This book examines the ecological systems of streamside and floodplain areas from the perspective of landscape ecology. The specific spatial pattern of riparian vegetation is seen as a result of, and a control on, the ecological, geomorphological, and hydro-
Books
logical processes that operate along rivers. Riparian structures are controlled by the spatial dynamics of channels, flooding, and soil moisture. These dynamics are part of integrated cascades of water sediment, nutrients, and carbon, to which animal and plant species respond in ways that illuminate community structure and competition. The role of the riparian zone in controlling species distribution and abundance is discussed. Intelligent management of these valuable ecological resources is highlighted. The potential for linking hydrological, geomorphological, and ecological simulation models is also explored. This book is of interest to workers in environmental science, ecology, and physical geography.
Comparing Democracies. Elections and Voting in Global Perspective. Lawrence LeDuc, Richard G. Niemi, and Pippa Norris, Eds. Sage Publications, Inc., Newbury Park, CA; 1996.428 pp. $52.00 hardcover; $24.95 softcover.
The Ecology of Health. Identifying Issues and Alternatives. Jennifer Chesworth, Ed. Sage Publications, Inc., Newbury Park, CA; 1996. 338 pp. $46.00 hardcover; $22.95 softcover.
Changing the Face of the Earth. Culture, Environment, History. Second Edition. I.G. Simmons. Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge, MA; 1996. 464 pp. $25.95 softcover.
Environmental Aesthetics. Ideas, Politics and Planning. J. Douglas Porteous. Routledge, New York, NY; 1996. 290 pp. $69.95 hardcover; $22.95 softcover.
Nutrition Accuracy in PopuIar Magazines (19921994). Diane Woznicki. The American Council on Science and Health, 1995 Broadway, 2”d Floor, New York, NY 10023; 1996. 15 pp. $3.85 softcover.
Accessing Technology Briefing. Proceedings. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 906, Washington, D.C. 20036; 1996.33 pp.