How Societies Move on? Conceptualising Societal Transition Processes and Its Implications on Climate Change Adaptation

Abstract

This article is first of its type aimed at retrieving the core sociological insights of classical, modern, and post-modern era, about the patterns of societal transitions, and situates those theoretical ideas in recent environmental discourse to support climate change adaptation endeavors. For this drive, a methodic literature review with theoretical coding has been carried out in three phases: 1) preliminary structuring, 2) systematic scrutiny, and 3) final selection of reading materials. The recurrent strands are described into three different sections: 1) classical sociology and societal transitions, 2) modern sociology and societal transitions, and 3) post-modern sociologies for societal transitions. Finally, this article highlights the recent grounds of sociological enquiry for the advancement of carbon reduction efforts and concludes by pointing out some learning lessons: climate change is a social issue; we need to institutionalise developmental leapfrogging of periphery and semi-peripheral nations by passing liability on core nations with high per capita carbon emissions; carbon reduction is dependent on the principles of equitable global development; Kuznets’ curve in the late capitalism is not a sustainable choice; resource efficiency is a temporary jack and societies would have to move for economy-wide carbon reduction paths. This study offers the conceptualisation of climate change issues in a sociological way, and provides a playing ground for sociologists, environmental activists, development professionals, and related social scientists, to realise their capacities for a meaningful contribution in steering our societies towards a sustainable direction.