![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/environmental-natural-resource-sociology.jpg?resize=744%2C496&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The sociology program at Oregon State University aims to create problem-solving professionals who understand how society shapes individuals and individuals shape society.<\/p>\n
When most people think of society at large, they often focus on social relations between humans. But at Oregon State, we view the world through a broader sociological lens \u2013 and one such way is by examining the relationship between humans and the environment.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, the OSU Ecampus sociology online bachelor\u2019s degree program<\/a> gives students the ability to enroll in an environmental and natural resource option<\/strong>. The multidisciplinary coursework in this option examines environmental issues from a social science perspective, and it provides an in-depth analysis of how societies interact with their biophysical environments.<\/p>\n To shed more light on this environmentally focused specialization option, we connected with Helen R. Fleming, a sociology academic advisor in OSU\u2019s School of Public Policy, and asked her a series of questions.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I talk to students about this option, I typically explain it from the perspective of a person who works for a nonprofit and is passionate about environmental and sustainability issues, but from the human side of the house rather than the scientific.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMany students who fit this description aren\u2019t necessarily the best in math and science, but they are passionate about the subject. I typically recommend focusing on the human talk tracks of the environmental issues from a political perspective. These students can pursue work as a lobbyist or work with city, state and other agencies to solve problems.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHumans impact their environment in negative ways by not having long-term plans about land and water use and air quality. If planning isn\u2019t in place for Oregon\u2019s replanting after timber harvest requirements, then we wouldn\u2019t have lumber for building. If humans don\u2019t plan how to keep their waste out of streams, rivers and other waterways, the impact to the environment will be substantial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is how the social sciences interact with the biophysical spaces. Social scientists conduct research that bridges the gap between science and humans. They learn what drives human beings to be reactive rather than proactive and then attempt to take steps to change that. Having all the science in the world won\u2019t necessarily convince a person to change their approach, so learning how to talk to them can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe option gives students the opportunity to take not only sociology coursework but also anthropology and political science coursework toward their major. It introduces them to topics about the environment and how humans are impacted. \u00a0For example, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have a greater risk of being exposed to severe environmental issues. This was the case during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.<\/p>\n \u201cExploring these types of issues encourages individuals to see a broader landscape. Another example is how third-world countries who are just now attempting to industrialize are facing a far steeper climb than Western countries because of the added concern for the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMany students with this option are focused on nonprofit work, as well as governmental agencies. They\u2019ll typically work at the city, state or federal level in positions found in the in-between of science and humans.<\/p>\n \u201cStudents who enroll in this option are looking for positions that allow them to incorporate their interests in environmental issues without having to work through the science aspects, which they may not have an aptitude for.\u201d<\/p>\n 1. \u201cUse your passion for the environment to your own advantage. You can communicate and solve problems, so having people skills will help you navigate the space between scientists and everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. \u201cIf you\u2019re not good at the science aspect, then use your research and writing skills to improve organizations at the city, state and federal level.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. \u201cDon\u2019t give up. You\u2019ll find your place through trial and error. Most people need to work in an industry and gain that inside knowledge before they find the perfect job that makes them happy. So be patient, and don\u2019t give up.\u201d<\/p>\n Take the next step and learn more about the environmental and natural resources option in Oregon State’s online sociology bachelor’s program.<\/p>\n <\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>The OSU Ecampus sociology online bachelor\u2019s degree program gives students the ability to enroll in an environmental and natural resource option. The multidisciplinary coursework in this option examines environmental issues from a social science perspective, and it provides an in-depth analysis of how societies interact with their biophysical environments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,9,678,3],"tags":[75,640,43],"class_list":["post-1399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-faculty","category-faculty-and-programs","category-features","tag-college-of-liberal-arts","tag-health-and-human-science","tag-sociology"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/environmental-natural-resource-sociology.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-mz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1469,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/sustainability-online-carlee-sedgwick\/","url_meta":{"origin":1399,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Prone to wanderlust, but at home with Ecampus","author":"Carlee Sedgwick","date":"July 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I think my favorite part about Ecampus, besides the community and approachability of all the faculty, is the overall flexibility allowed through online classes. ... When I graduate, I want to continue my education before pursuing a career that involves conservation, environmental justice or really anything to do with environmental\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carlee Sedgwick, a sustainability and sociology double major with Oregon State University Ecampus, stands with ocean cliffs behind her. She is in the environmental and natural resource option in the sociology bachelor's degree program.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/carlee-sedgwick-sociology-sustainability.jpg?fit=744%2C498&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1403,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/crime-justice-online-sociology-degree\/","url_meta":{"origin":1399,"position":1},"title":"Crime and justice is a key focus of Oregon State online sociology degree","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"May 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When Scott Akins was \"a bit of a juvenile delinquent\" growing up. Now he's a Ph.D. professor of sociology at Oregon State University. \"After experiencing criminal behavior and law enforcement from the \u2018other side,\u2019 I became very interested in studying the behavior, why it occurs and what can be done\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scott Akins, a professor of sociology at Oregon State University, poses in front of a building. 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OSU ranks No. 8 in the category of\u00a0Best Online Bachelor\u2019s Programs for 2023, marking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scenic image of the black entrance sign to Oregon State University with trees in the background","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/OSU-entrance-sign-2022.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/OSU-entrance-sign-2022.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/OSU-entrance-sign-2022.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/OSU-entrance-sign-2022.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Which types of students would be interested in the sociology program\u2019s environmental and natural resource option?<\/h3>\n
What is a good example of how societies and the biophysical environment interact, and how do social science concepts impact that?<\/h3>\n
What will an Oregon State sociology student learn in the environmental and natural resource option?<\/h3>\n
What career opportunities could the option\u2019s environmentally-focused coursework create?<\/h3>\n
What are your tips on how to take the knowledge gained in this option and turn it into a rewarding career?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nRequest information<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"