A NOISY ROAD OR NOISY RESIDENT - A DEMONSTRATION OF THE UTILITY OF SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM FOR ANALYZING ENVIRONMENTAL-PROBLEMS

Within the developing field of environmental sociology the use of soci al constructionist approaches has often been criticised for detracting attention from the severity of environmental problems and for failing to contribute to attempts to manage them. While there are is a number of published social constructionist analyses of how various environme ntal problems have come to prominence, few of these address the critic isms which have been levelled at the approach. This paper attempts to contribute to this gap in the literature by providing a reflective cas e study of the use of social constructionism to analyse a specific env ironmental problem - the noise generated by a new road. The case study discussed is of the A27 road between Havant and Chichester. The resul ts illustrate that treating environmental problems as socially constru cted is often the most valid approach given that the existence and cha racter of these problems, as well as how best to address them, are oft en contested. In addition it is suggested that the results of social c onstructionist analyses can make a practical contribution to the manag ement of environmental disputes.