Global warming is about more than weather, and scientists need the perspective of sociologists to understand how it will affect social order, cultural systems and the political economy, UO sociology professor Kari Marie Norgaard.

Writing in a commentary article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Norgaard points out that most of the work and debate on climate change is happening in the natural science community, despite the potential disruption to social systems around the world. She argues that natural scientists need to call on sociologists to fully understand the effects of climate change, and sociologists need to embrace the study of climate change in their research.

“Despite increasing calls for both interdisciplinarity and social-science knowledge, to date little social-scientific expertise has been brought to bear and too few sociologists, in particular, have been engaged in the conversation of how society can change course,” Norgaard writes. “Sociology, with its attention to the interactive dimensions of social order among individuals, social norms, cultural systems, and political economy, is uniquely positioned to be a leader in this conversation.”

For the full story, see “Climate Change Is a Social Issue” in The Chronicle of Higher Education.