Volatile Places: A Sociology of Communities and Environmental Controversies is a thoughtful guide to the spirited public controversies that inevitably occur when environments and human communities collide. The movie "An Inconvenient Truth" based on the environmental activism of Al Gore and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina are specifically highlighted. Authors Valerie Gunter and Steve Kroll-Smith begin with a simple observation and offer a provocative case study approach to the investigation of community and environmental controversies.

Key Features:

Compels students with personal narrative: Co-author Valerie Gunter, who was teaching at the University of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck, gives her personal standpoint of this tragedy.
Creates a dramatic story around the controversy: Each case study illustrates a local environmental conflict and is written to capture students' attention.
Provides a unique way to view environmental conflicts: The book illustrates the importance of each perspective and local knowledge when making decisions about the environment.
Makes connections with previous chapters: The chapters are integrated to create a strong sense for the multifaceted approach to the study of community and environmental controversies.
Includes portfolios in each chapter as well as concept and theory boxes: Students are inspired to engage in spirited thinking, original research, and action.

Intended Audience:
This text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Environmental Sociology. It is also an ideal text for Social Problems courses focusing on environmental issues.

Table of Contents:

Preface
Acknowledgments
1. When Environments and Communities Collide
2. The Presence of the Past
3. Trust and Betrayal
4. The Problem of Uncertain Knowledge
5. Perceptions of Fairness
6. Oppositional Activity and Social Capital
7. Social Facts and Brute Facts: Confounding the Social and the Physical
Postscript
References
Index
About the Authors

Sociology in general, methodology, handbooks

Biology, geography

Georgaphy

Organizational sociology

Environmental protection

Sociology in general, methodology, handbooks (charity campaign)

Biology, geography (charity campaign)

Georgaphy (charity campaign)

Organizational sociology (charity campaign)

Environmental protection (charity campaign)

Volatile Places