Environmental Beliefs and Practices: A Comparative Study of Water Scarcity and Contamination in West Bengal India

Despite being a young sub-discipline, environmental sociology has pioneered in generating overarching framework to study reciprocal interaction of environment and society. Following the theoretical and empirical tradition of environmental sociology, this book, an outcome of doctoral research of the author, examines environmental beliefs and practices in rural West Bengal state of India with special reference to water problem. Methodologically, it followed Riley Dunlap’s scale of New Ecological Paradigm to measure peoples’ environmental beliefs in general and water beliefs in particular. The study was conducted in two districts of rural West Bengal in India, one facing water contamination and other water scarcity. Along with beliefs, this study also examines people’s daily life practices related to water consumption. This book will be of interest to environmental sociologist, rural development and management professionals, and non-government agencies engaged in water research.

Dr. Pradip Swarnakar, Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Gwalior, has obtained his PhD in Sociology from IIT Kanpur, India. He has also worked at IIT Delhi and CISED Bangalore. He is actively engaged in environmental sociology research particularly water and land contamination management.