The DOI matches its Crossref record; 75 of the 84 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Marx's Theory of Metabolic Rift: Classical Foundations for Environmental Sociology
Abstract
This article addresses a paradox: on the one hand, environmental sociology, as currently developed, is closely associated with the thesis that the classical sociological tradition is devoid of systematic insights into environmental problems; on the other hand, evidence of crucial classical contributions in this area, particularly in Marx, but also in Weber, Durkheim, and others, is too abundant to be convincingly denied. The nature of this paradox, its origins, and the means of transcending it are illustrated primarily through an analysis of Marx's theory of metabolic rift, which, it is contended, offers important classical foundations for environmental sociology.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“In the 1980s, new currents of Marxism emerged, fusing value theory and focus on the environment, with reconstruction of ecological thinking in the Marxist canon (Foster, 1999;Mies & Shiva, 1993;O'Connor, 1988).”
From Theories of Political Ecology: Monopoly Capital Against People and the Planet (2023) · cites this paper as Foster, 1999
Citations
Cites
The Strategy of Ecosystem Development
Odum, E. P. (1969) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.164.3877.262 · Cited by 5,546
The division of labor in society
Durkheim, É. (1935) · Columbia Law Review · doi:10.4324/9780429499838-5 · Cited by 5,179
Pigou, A. C., & Aslanbeigui, N. (1933) · The Economic Journal · doi:10.2307/2224491 · Cited by 5,142
The Entropy Law and the Economic Process
Georgescu‐Roegen, N. (1971) · Harvard University Press eBooks · doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674281653 · Cited by 5,067
World Commission on environment and development
HARIEMBRUNDTLAND, G. (1985) · Environmental Policy and Law · doi:10.1016/s0378-777x(85)80040-8 · Cited by 4,829
Justice, Nature and the Geography of Difference
Mathewson, K., & Harvey, D. (1997) · Geographical Review · doi:10.2307/215233 · Cited by 4,625
A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism
Giddens, A. (1981) · doi:10.1007/978-1-349-16638-1 · Cited by 1,553
Agricultural Involution: The Processes of Ecological Change in Indonesia
Geertz, C. (1963) · doi:10.1525/9780520341821 · Cited by 1,297
A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism
Giddens, A. (1995) · doi:10.1007/978-1-349-24187-3 · Cited by 1,197
The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation.
Coats, A. W. B., & Ricardo, D. (1973) · The Economic History Review · doi:10.2307/2593726 · Cited by 1,139
Flagged first, then by citations
9 of the 84 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 36
- Beck, Ulrich. 1995. Ecological Enlightenment. Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press.
- Benton Ted, 1989, New Left Review, 178, 51
- Benton, Ted, and Michael Redclift. 1994. "Introduction." Pp. 1-27 in Social Theory and the Global Environment, edited by Michael Redclift and Ted Benton. New York: Routledge.
- Carey, Henry. 1858. Letters to the President on the Foreign and Domestic Policy of the Union. Philadelphia: M. Polock.
- - (1858-59) 1867. Principles of Social Science, vol. 2. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.
- Catton, William. 1982. Overshoot. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
- Catton William, 1978, American Sociologist, 13, 41
- Cohen, Stephen. 1980. Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Darwin, Charles. (1859) 1968. The Origin of Species. Middlesex: Penguin.
- - 1996. Reconstructing Nature. New York: Routledge.
- Dryzek, John. 1997. The Politics of the Earth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Dunlap Riley, 1983, Rural Sociology, 48, 201
- Durkheim, E'mile, and Marcel Mauss. 1963. Primitive Classification. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Eckersley, Robyn. 1992. Environmentalism and Political Theory. New York: State University of New York Press.
- Ferkiss, Victor. 1993. Nature, Technology and Society. New York: New York University Press.
- Giradet Herbert, 1997, Architectural Design, 67, 9
- Hayward, Tim. 1994. Ecological Thought. Cambridge, Mass.: Polity.
- Jacobs, Michael. 1994. "The Limits to Neoclassicism." Pp. 67-91 in Social Theory and the Environment, edited by Michael Redclift and Ted Benton. New York: Routledge.
- Komarov, V. L. 1935. "Marx and Engels on Biology." Pp. 190-234 in Marxism and Modern Thought. New York: Harcourt, Brace.
- Lenin, V. I. 1961. Collected Works, vol. 5. Edited by Victor Jerome. Moscow: Progress.
- - 1865. Letters on the Subject of the Utilization of the Metropolitan Sewage. London: W. H. Collingridge.
- Martinez-Alier, Juan. 1987. Ecological Economics. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
- - (1867) 1976. Capital, vol. 1. New York: Vintage.
- - (1865-70) 1978. Capital, vol. 2. New York: Vintage.
- - (1863-65) 1981. Capital, vol. 3. New York: Vintage.
- Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. (1848) 1967. The Communist Manifesto. New York: Monthly Review.
- McConnell, Campbell. 1987. Economics. New York: McGraw Hill.
- - 1993. Regarding Nature. Albany: State University of New York Press.
- Norgaard, Richard. 1994. Development Betrayed. New York: Routledge.
- Perelman Michael, 1988, Environment, Technology and Society, 51, 15
- Redclift, Michael, and Graham Woodgate. 1994. "Sociology and the Environment." Pp. 51-66 in Social Theory and the Global Environment, vol. 1. Edited by Michael Redclift and Ted Benton. New York: Routledge.
- Schnaiberg, Allen. 1980. The Environment. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Shanin, Teodor. 1983. Late Marx and the Russian Road. New York: Monthly Review.
- 10.2307/2592204 · DOI
- Uranovsky, Y. M. 1935. "Marxism and Natural Science." Pp. 136-74 in Marxism and Modern Thought. New York: Harcourt, Brace.
- Wolman Abel, 1965, Scientific American, 213, 179
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 901–1,000 of 1,491
Corporate sustainability : greenwash or a path to sustainable capitalism?
Traies, S. J. (2005) · Cited by 1
Neema, M. N., Maniruzzaman, K. M., & Ohgai, A. (2013) · International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications · doi:10.1109/iccsa.2013.43 · Cited by 1
A way with nature: notes on methodology
Gal, N. (2012) · Critical Arts · doi:10.1080/02560046.2012.663170 · Cited by 1
ECOTONE CONDITIONS ALONG PIÑON-JUNIPER AND PONDEROSA PINE ELEVATIONAL RANGES, JEMEZ MOUNTAINS, NM
Sanderson, C. (2015) · UNM’s Digital Repository (University of New Mexico) · Cited by 1
Alienating students: Marxist theory in action
Thiele, M., Pan, Y. D., & Molina, D. (2016) · Learning and Teaching · doi:10.3167/latiss.2016.090102 · Cited by 1
Master studio urban planning 2014-2015: urban metabolism
Savini, F., Verschuuren, S., Salet, W. G. M., & Raats, K. (2015) · UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) · Cited by 1
Kick, E. L., Tellez, M. F. B., Thompson, G. H., & Classen, J. J. (2016) · AIMS Agriculture and Food · doi:10.3934/agrfood.2016.4.419 · Cited by 1
Gizicki-Neundlinger, M., Gingrich, S., & Güldner, D. (2017) · Human-environment interactions · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69236-4_6 · Cited by 1
Sustainable Higher Education Teaching Approaches
Krogman, N., & Bergstrom, A. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-53121-2_29-1 · Cited by 1
Contextualising Complex Systems: Modes of Production and Social-Ecological Metabolism
Flaherty, E. T. (2018) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-54978-5_4 · Cited by 1
Explaining the capitalist city: an idea of progress in Harvey’s Marxism
Champagne, D. (2018) · Theory and Society · doi:10.1007/s11186-018-09331-3 · Cited by 1
Metabolic Rift and Eco-justice
Lynch, M. J., Long, M. A., & Stretesky, P. B. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-28573-9_7 · Cited by 1
Towards a Conceptual Framework for Ecological Rationality in Spatial Planning
Rega, C. (2020) · Cities and nature · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-33027-9_4 · Cited by 1
Lele, J. K. (2020) · Psychology and Developing Societies · doi:10.1177/0971333619900045 · Cited by 1
The Recovery of a Holistic and Cross-Disciplinary Approach in a European Prospect: Some Key Points
Fanfani, D., & Ruiz, A. M. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-46083-9_1 · Cited by 1
Eating Our Way to a Sustainable Future?
Johnston, J., & Weiler, A. M. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108554558.025 · Cited by 1
Morbidly Excited Soil: Sylvester Graham and the Environmental Ethos of Antebellum Reform
Reed, M. (2020) · Environmental History · doi:10.1093/envhis/emaa083 · Cited by 1
Democracia colapsada e alternativas às utopias do capitalismo pandêmico
Rachid, R. (2021) · PerCursos · doi:10.5965/1984724621472020031 · Cited by 1
Zwierzęce nieczystości i utrapienia w dziewiętnastowiecznym Londynie
Atkins, P. J. (2021) · Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego eBooks · doi:10.31338/uw.9788323548805.pp.25-40 · Cited by 1
An eco-Marxist reinterpretation of formal abstraction in Ecological Economics
Dwarkasing, C., Sánchez, V. S., & Vitón, G. (2021) · Relaciones Internacionales · doi:10.15366/relacionesinternacionales2021.46.002 · Cited by 1
Toward a Law and Political Economy Approach to Environmental Justice
Harris, A. P. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108555791.033 · Cited by 1
Environmental Crimes and Green Victimization
Fegadel, A. R. (2021) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-7348-8.ch009 · Cited by 1
Briscoe, M. D. (2021) · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · doi:10.26076/d0d8-344f · Cited by 1
Conflito ambiental na Comunidade Ilha Verde: articulação institucional e ativismo cartográfico
de Aguiar, V. G., Júnior, D. V. R., & Costa, K. G. (2021) · Ateliê Geográfico · doi:10.5216/ag.v15i2.66094 · Cited by 1
Davidson, D. J. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-76415-3_3 · Cited by 1
Wolch, J. R. (2021) · Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego eBooks · doi:10.31338/uw.9788323548805.pp.9-24 · Cited by 1
Sport, the Environment, and Geopolitics
Miller, T. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197519011.013.16 · Cited by 1
Crisis to Adaptation: Assessing the Drivers of Participation in Sustainable Off-Grid Construction
Colby, A., & Whitley, C. T. (2022) · Human Ecology Review · doi:10.22459/her.27.02.2022.03 · Cited by 1
McMichael, P. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197618646.013.16 · Cited by 1
Ecological Rifts as Disaster in Indra Sinha’s Animal’s People
Alam, M. M. (2022) · South Asian Review · doi:10.1080/02759527.2022.2158279 · Cited by 1
Fuglestad, E. M. (2023) · Norsk sosiologisk tidsskrift · doi:10.18261/nost.7.2.3 · Cited by 1
Capitalism, Money and Inequality in the World
Muzio, T. D. (2023) · MDPI eBooks · doi:10.3390/books978-3-03921-161-6-4 · Cited by 1
Liaison of Climate Change and Social Inequality
Kupfer, A. (2023) · MDPI eBooks · doi:10.3390/books978-3-03921-161-6-3 · Cited by 1
A World Drifting Apart: Challenges and Possibilities of Transitioning to a More Equitable Planet
Bader, C., & Bieri, S. (2023) · MDPI eBooks · doi:10.3390/books978-3-03921-161-6-1 · Cited by 1
The Missing Link between Inequality and the Environment in SDG 10
Ghosh, E., Nazareth, A., Kartha, S., & Kemp-Benedict, E. J. (2023) · MDPI eBooks · doi:10.3390/books978-3-03921-161-6-2 · Cited by 1
Informal Waste Recyclers and Their Environmental Services
Demaria, F. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780192869050.003.0005 · Cited by 1
Introduction: inequality and the environment
Long, M. A., Lynch, M. J., & Stretesky, P. B. (2023) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781800881136.00008 · Cited by 1
Holleman, H. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197618646.013.28 · Cited by 1
Meulemans, G. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-13169-1_14 · Cited by 1
Marielle, J. A. D., & Azcapotzalco, U. A. M. (2023) · Anuario de espacios urbanos, historia, cultura y diseño/Anuario de espacios urbanos, historia, cultura y diseño · doi:10.24275/abhc8882 · Cited by 1
2. Fetishising the ‘Wild’: Conservation, commodities, and capitalism
Greiner, C., & Bollig, M. (2023) · Boydell and Brewer eBooks · doi:10.1515/9781800106642-006 · Cited by 1
Natur und die Wissenschaft von der Gesellschaft: Einleitung zum Handbuch Umweltsoziologie
Sonnberger, M., Bleicher, A., & Groß, M. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-37218-7_68 · Cited by 1
Sayadi, M., Mamipour, S., Galavi, M., & Ghaed, E. (2023) · Planning and Budgeting · doi:10.61186/jpbud.28.2.115 · Cited by 1
Giardini, F. (2024) · Studi e saggi · doi:10.36253/979-12-215-0319-7.132 · Cited by 1
Royle, C. (2024) · Contributions to Political Economy · doi:10.1093/cpe/bzae005 · Cited by 1
Decolonizing allegory and anti-imperialist critique in the longue durée of extractivism
Morton, S. (2024) · Literature, critique, and empire today. · doi:10.1177/30333962241236094 · Cited by 1
Political Ecology and Inequality
Kleinod, M. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-97417-6_21-1 · Cited by 1
Otchere-Darko, W. (2024) · Environment and Planning F · doi:10.1177/26349825241264413 · Cited by 1
Strüver, A., & Bauriedl, S. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-42419-0_43-1 · Cited by 1
Luedy, L., & others, M. V. D. L. A. (2020) · Crítica Marxista. · doi:10.53000/cma.v27i50.19008 · Cited by 1
Rakshit, N., & Gaur, R. (2024) · ISLE Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment · doi:10.1093/isle/isae075 · Cited by 1
Eco-Marxism and the politics of natural resource extractivism: The case of South America
Tomić, M., & Kesić, D. (2025) · Socioloski pregled · doi:10.5937/socpreg59-56439 · Cited by 1
Soils in motion: the metabolism of New York City’s urban grounds
Harris, L. (2025) · Landscape Research · doi:10.1080/01426397.2025.2526498 · Cited by 1
Villes voraces et villes frugales
Bruckert, M. (2020) · CNRS Éditions eBooks · doi:10.3917/cnrs.paquo.2020.01.0159 · Cited by 1
Groenfeldt, J. (2016) · Clark Digital Commons (Clark University) · Cited by 1
Hamilton, J. (2018) · Shakespeare bulletin · doi:10.1353/shb.2018.0042 · Cited by 1
Rudel, T. K. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190921019.003.0005 · Cited by 1
Is Capitalism Ending? An Institutional-Evolutionary View
McDonagh, N. (2020) · Journal of Economic Issues · doi:10.1080/00213624.2020.1778972 · Cited by 1
Javad, K. S. (2001) · Journal of World-Systems Research · doi:10.5195/jwsr.2001.177 · Cited by 1
Clement, M. T. (2015) · Scholars' Bank (University of Oregon) · Cited by 1
Colonialismo e nacionalismo nos escritos de Marx sobre a Irlanda
da Silva, R. A. (2013) · doi:10.47749/t/unicamp.2013.905696 · Cited by 1
Yasuní-ITT and Environmental Justice
Ahrens, M. (2014) · Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin) · doi:10.17169/refubium-22662 · Cited by 1
The Lives of Suburban Peasants: Agricultural Change and Mobility in Haiti
Grabner, R. M. (2017) · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) · Cited by 1
Bacon, J. (2018) · Scholars' Bank (University of Oregon) · Cited by 1
Ecologie territoriale et trajectoires de transitions : le cas du Rhône-Médian
Herbelin, A. (2018) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/0067c021z0830z46ddz8913z7f005a2a2c19 · Cited by 1
Seeing the forest for the trees : ontological security and experiences of Tasmanian forests
Banham, R. (2019) · UTAS Research Repository · doi:10.25959/23238422 · Cited by 1
Larsen, T. S. (2019) · Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University) · doi:10.13140/rg.2.2.11373.33762 · Cited by 1
Finance Capital and the Environment
Knox‐Hayes, J. (2017) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118786352.wbieg0504 · Cited by 1
Institutions and Cumulative ChangePreprint
Ollinaho, O. I. (2019) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3303103 · Cited by 1
Aksakal, M. (2012) · Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld (Universität Bielefeld) · Cited by 1
van Driel, J. (2016) · doi:10.3990/1.6089892 · Cited by 1
Renauld, M. (2018) · Digital Repository Service (Northeastern University) · doi:10.17760/d20316402 · Cited by 1
The Dual Dependency of Natural Resource Rich Labor Markets in Contemporary SocietyPreprint
Mueller, J. T. (2019) · SocArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31235/osf.io/e4akp · Cited by 1
Nested circularity : Localized food in a globalized world
Koppelmäki, K. (2022) · doi:10.18174/574488 · Cited by 1
Saguin, K. K. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780190922481-0063 · Cited by 1
Aigner, E., Görg, C., Krisch, A., Madner, V., Muhar, A., Novy, A., Posch, A., Steininger, K. W., Bohunovsky, L., Essletzbichler, J., et al. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-66497-1_3 · Cited by 1
Mancus, P. (2009) · Scholars' Bank (University of Oregon) · Cited by 1
Steel Beyond Coal : Socio-Technical Change and the Emergent Politics of Steel Decarbonisation
Vogl, V. (2023) · Lund University Publications (Lund University) · Cited by 1
Bohr, J. (2014) · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Javdani, M. (2009) · Scholars' Bank (University of Oregon)
Vianna, M. D. D. A. (2012) · Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo) · doi:10.11606/t.90.2012.tde-17062012-234336
Cultural causes of environmental problems: a Wittgensteinian approach to social action
Arponen, V. P. J. (2012) · ERA
Gendered Political Ecology of Coffee and Maize Agro-Ecosystems in the Southern Ecuadorian Andes
Seminario, P., & Bruno, R. (2011) · Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University)
Work, leisure, and flourishing : an ethnographic study of voluntary sea turtle conservation
O’Mahoney, H. (2014) · ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University)
Mancus, P. (2008) · Organization & Environment · doi:10.1177/1086026608326131
Managing Regional Water Resources Amidst Rapid Urbanization in Southwest Florida: A Case Study
Caesar, N. O. (2014) · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida)
Marxism and ecology a comment on Lipietz
Burkett, P. (2000) · Capitalism Nature Socialism · doi:10.1080/10455750009358918
Xiao, S., & Huang, X. (2011) · International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering · doi:10.1109/icbbe.2011.5781276
RetractedEcophilosophy and communalist utopian novels: do bicycles and biotechnology go together?
Melano, A. L. (2013) · Research Online (University of Wollongong) · doi:10.7563/ssd_02_03_07
How Does Localized Social Economy Sustain in a Globalizing World
Kumbamu, A. (2011)
Nature, sociology, and the Frankfurt School
Gunderson, R. (2014) · Michigan State University Libraries · doi:10.25335/ceqd-kg92
A Cross-National Analysis of Agricultural Dependency and its Impacts on Environmental Degradation.
Driscoll, A. (2014) · NCSU Libraries Repository (North Carolina State University Libraries)
Review of "Han Unbound: The Political Economy of South Korea," by John Lie
Bousquet, N. (2001) · Journal of World-Systems Research · doi:10.5195/jwsr.2001.173
Sherman, S. (2001) · Journal of World-Systems Research · doi:10.5195/jwsr.2001.178
Moore, J. W., & Bevington, D. (2001) · Journal of World-Systems Research · doi:10.5195/jwsr.2001.169
Connell, R. W. (2001) · Journal of World-Systems Research · doi:10.5195/jwsr.2001.171
Metadata
- Authors
- Foster, J. B.
- Affiliations
- University of Oregon (US)
- Corresponding author
- Foster, John Bellamy
- Venue
- American Journal of Sociology
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Published
- 1999-09
- Volume
- 105
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 366-405
- ISSN
- 0002-9602 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-5390
- OpenAlex
- W2006759735
- Semantic Scholar
- 08977c53168b07510bc2890c2e7e9e0d28e3ce0b
- Cited by
- 1,495
- References
- 84
- Citations by year
- 2026: 170 · 2025: 128 · 2024: 133 · 2023: 126 · 2022: 82 · 2021: 116 · 2020: 98 · 2019: 77 · 2018: 81 · 2017: 56 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 67 · 2014: 54 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 33.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Sociology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Political Economy and Marxism
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Marxism and Critical Theory
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice
- Keywords
- metabolic rift, Karl Marx, environmental sociology, classical sociology, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, environmental problems, history of environmental thought
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review