Abstract
Colony collapse disorder, or the mysterious disappearance of worldwide honey bee populations, has upset the beekeeping community for the last six years. In this study, I use colony collapse disorder as a lens to better understand the beekeeping community’s attitudes towards the environment. This study consists of an analysis of nine interviews conducted with individuals involved in either beekeeping or pesticide regulation. I combine summaries of the pre-existing literature on colony collapse disorder along with several other environmental topics with the theoretical portion of this study to create a better conceptualization of concepts like risk society and eco-Marxism. These theories serve as the basis for the “results” chapter, in which I finally analyze the ideas expressed in the interviews. This study serves to not only better understand intricacies and attitudes of the beekeeping community, but to create a broad picture of the ways in which groups of people discuss an environmental function in peril.
Advisor
Mariola, Matthew
Department
Sociology and Anthropology; Environmental Studies
Recommended Citation
New, Margaret E., "Buzzkill: Beekeepers’ Understanding of the Environment through the lens of Colony Collapse Disorder" (2015). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 6798.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/6798
Disciplines
Other Sociology
Keywords
Beekeepers, colony collapse disorder, bees, pesticides, environmental sociology
Publication Date
2015
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2015 Margaret E. New
