Hello! My name is Dr. Joan M. Brehm. I received my PhD in 2003 from Utah State University, and am currently a Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. My educational training and research interests all broadly revolve around gaining a better understanding of the complex relationships between society and the environment which sustains us.
I strongly believe in the need for a better understanding of how humans interact with the environment if we have any hope of protecting it for future generations. Our human and social well-being is intrinsically linked to ecological well-being. As Ken Wilkinson so eloquently stated, “It is not accurate or appropriate to treat the environment as though it were somehow separate from the social life it supports. An active interdependency characterizes the relationship between social life and its surroundings” (1991, pg. 68). Please feel free to read more about my current research activities, review some of my more recent publications, and learn a bit more about the courses that I teach.
My Teaching Interests Include:
- Research Methods
- Social Problems
- Community
- Society and Environment
My Research Interests Include:
- Society and Environment
- Evaluating Watershed Health Risks through Integrated Water Quality Analyses, Community Capacity Assessments, and Outreach Appraisals
- Natural Resource Management and Adaptation to Climate Change
- The Nexus of Place Attachment and Behavior
Dr. Joan M. Brehm
Department Chair and Professor of Sociology
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Illinois State University
Normal, IL 61790-4660
Office (309) 438-7177
fax (309) 438-5378