The Sociology of Environmental Health

1. The Sociology of Environmental Health

2. DEP vs EP • Dominant Epidemiological Paradigm • Biomedical model • Individual • Genetic • Medical/etiology • Neutrality of medicine • Treatment • Risk management • Environmental Paradigm • Population • Environmental and political factors • Prevention • Precautionary principle

3. DEP vs EP • Sick individuals • Why are some individuals sick? • Sick populations • Why are some groups sick while others are not? • Requires different methods • Innovative methods • Topics of study • GIS • Survey methods • Novel epidemiological and toxicological methods • Collaboration with laypeople

4. Tragedies: Making the Case for Environmental Health • 1950s – Minamata Bay, Japan • 1970s – Michigan • 1970s – Love Canal, NY • 1984 – Bhopal, India • World Trade Centre • 2007 – Ivory Coast

5. Chronic Mishaps • Lead poisoning • Cancer • Toxins in personal care products – FDA does not regulate • War causes • Climate change

6. Climate Change e.g. Heat Waves • Heat waves affect groups differently based on their race, gender, age, and medical and socioeconomic status. • The elderly – predominantly women • Inner-city area – lack of green space – poor & minority communities • Lack of access to health care

7. Public Health Impacts • Climate change is just one of the emerging concerns of environmental health specialists • Others include • The accumulation of chemicals in the human body • Decreasing availability of clean water and resulting water-borne illnesses • Environmental crimes that lack international regulations

8. Conclusion • Making connections between health and the environment is often first achieved by those who suffer environmental illnesses. • In order for them to gain compensation for their losses and to stop these exposures, public officials must also accept their claims • A key component of this latter process is scientific proof • If an affected community has research that proves an illness is connected to certain exposures, it is much easier to gain the proper treatment and prevention • A key political principle that may improve environmental health is the precautionary principle