Biography
Janet A. Lorenzen is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Willamette
University with affiliations in American Ethnic Studies, the Sustainability
Institute, and Women’s & Gender Studies. They teach courses about social
change, just sustainability, qualitative methods, sociological and feminist
theory.
Their primary area of research involves understanding and documenting
mechanisms of social and structural change. They study processes of social
change related to taking action on climate change, including: climate
governance and policymaking, climate movement tactics, lifestyle change and
green consumption. They use an equity lens to critique social change projects
that recreate inequalities and reinforce environmental privilege. Their current
research project looks at how the climate justice movement influences state-
level climate governance.
They earned their doctorate in Sociology at Rutgers University and an M.A. in
Women's Studies from SDSU. Prof. Lorenzen’s work is shaped by a
commitment to activism in the women’s movement, LGBTQ+ movement, and
climate justice movement. They are actively engaged in 350-Salem, the
Salem Climate Action Plan Task Force, the Oregon League of Conservation
Voters Leadership Committee for Marion County, and on campus serve as
faculty advisor for CAFES (Community Action Fund for Equity and
Sustainability).
They have articles on responses to climate change published in:
Environmental Politics, Environmental Sociology, Human Ecology Review,
Humanity & Society, Sociological Forum, Sociology Compass, and Wiley
Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change.