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Updated: May 29, 2026
13:48
Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility
Published on: August 8, 2014
Social organization, population, and land use.
William G Axinn1, Dirgha J Ghimire
1Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-1248, USA.
AJS; American Journal of Sociology
|August 31, 2011
Summary
Social organization, not just population size or technology, significantly impacts environmental changes. Local birth events also directly shape land use, revealing new drivers of environmental influence.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Sociology
- Demography
Background:
- Traditional models of human environmental impact often focus on population size, affluence, and technology.
- These models may overlook other critical social factors influencing environmental outcomes.
- Understanding the complex interplay between social dynamics and land use is crucial for effective environmental management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel framework for investigating human influences on the environment.
- To identify social organization as an independent driver of environmental change.
- To explore the role of population events, such as births, in shaping local land use.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal, multilevel, and mixed-method research designs.
- Collected data on local land use changes, population dynamics, and social organization.
- Employed statistical analyses to test the proposed framework.
Main Results:
- Changes in social organization were strongly associated with land use changes, independent of population size, affluence, and technology.
- Local birth events were found to directly influence local land use patterns.
- Social organization emerged as a significant, independent determinant of environmental impact.
Conclusions:
- Social organization is a critical, underappreciated factor in human-environment interactions.
- Population dynamics, including birth events, play a direct role in local environmental transformations.
- The new framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of human influences on the environment.
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