William Freudenburg

Who was William Freudenburg?

William Robert Freudenburg, was an environmental sociologist and social theorist, best known for his work in rural sociology on the topics of risk perception, social disruption, and the causes of environmental degradation. Born in Madison, Nebraska, raised in West Point, Nebraska, he was educated at the University of Nebraska and Yale University. Freudenburg was a professor of sociology at a number of universities, most recently the Dehlsen Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He died at his home in Santa Barbara, of cholangiocarcinoma.

Much of Freudenburg's research dealt with the relationship between society and the environment, often in rural communities. Although not opposed to forms of environmentalism which emphasize reducing one’s impact on the environment Freudenburg focused less on the role of consumers and much more on the role of regulatory structure and actions of industry, emphasizing the socially structured sources of environmental impacts.