SOCIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The paper indicates how a critical sociology could contribute to envir onmental impact assessment (EIA), and argues sociologists must become involved in evaluating the EIA process itself. Topics examined include : how EIA excludes and frames social issues; why social science should precede natural science; the social construction of impact science; b ias and the circulation of EIA consultants; and fairness when talking in public hearings. The author proposes an activist role for sociologi sts.