The shortage of natural resources as a subject of sociological analysis: realities and prospects in Ukrainian society
The article dwells upon socio-environmental risks of modern society and socio-environmental issues as a field of sociological knowledge. It reveals the social nature of the ecological problems in modern society, its annual increase of the risks that accompany social development. Author analyses existing in international and domestic science definitions of “risk”, discloses the relationship of the concepts of “risk,” “social risk” and “socio-environmental risk”, gives is the definition of socio-environmental risk and its classification.
Paper considers theoretical and methodological basis of socio-environmental issues, explored as well as analyzed is the actual empirical research that allows to identify socio-environmental risks at the present stage of social development. Special attention is given to the problem of scarcity of natural resources. Revealed is the social nature of this issue, its theoretical origins in sociological knowledge. Author analyzes the socio-philosophical concept of the consumer society, gives the definition of a “consumer society” and its characteristic features. The problem of scarcity of natural resources is depicted in the context of the concept of the consumer society.
Papers suggests problem features analysis of the natural resources scarcity in the Ukrainian society, and determines the condition of the natural resource balance of Ukraine and dynamics of key natural resources production over the last 10 years. Given the reasons for the dynamic fluctuations of extraction of natural resources, author updated features of the resourcing of Ukraine as a whole and outlined the directions of further development of the problem of natural resources scarcity in the sociological discourse.
Special attention is given to the rationale for introducing a comprehensive system of evaluation and prevention of socio-environmental risks, public opinion and cultural practices, as well as regular and detailed sociological research on the current and projected state of the socio-environmental situation of the various aspects of the influence of socio-environmental risks in public life. Also the objective necessity is emphasized to familiarize the sociologists and to engage them in participation in such studies.
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