Itinerari di sociologia dell'ambiente

During the last twenty years, many Italian social scientists carried out research about environmental sociology. To tell the truth, some pioneering studies were published previously, such as Strassoldo’s important essay concerning human ecology (1977). Despite Catton & Dunlap’s “new ecological paradigm” was fully considered only later, the first national Italian congress about “Sociologists and the Environment” was held in Grosseto in 1988. In the Nineties, the environmental sociology grew up very much. Among others, Beato (1993) outlined the links between the environmental risks and global changes; Mela et Al. (1998) published an accurate review of developments in social environmental thought. Since 1996, scholars in this field regularly participated in National Italian Conferences, held in various towns every two years. A great number of empirical case studies were issued, as well as some introductory texts for teaching. At the beginning of the new millennium, Pieroni (2002) and Pellizzoni & Osti (2003) published two comprehensive books about themes, problems, models and empirical research in this matter. In the last years, a huge increase of Italian social studies concerning the environment can be observed. Among others, Pellizzoni et Al. (2011) showed some general opposition of sociologists against several new environmental big interventions, which can generate social conflicts. On the theoretical side, Tacchi et Al. (2011) revised the main currents of thought in the literature concerning the relations between environment and society.