The course is designed for MA students who are interested in the intersection of humanities, social sciences and ecology. No prior knowledge of the subject is a prerequisite.
Climate change, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, rise of seal levels, plastic pollution and a range of other global environmental problems have become part of our everyday reality, requiring us to rethink the eternal, but ever changing relationship between humans and nature. The starting point for the course is the basic tenet of critical cultural studies that discursive practices in the public sphere mutually influence material reality. The news media, social media, mass culture, but also our everyday practices represent our relationship to the environment, and a meaningful analysis of these practices can help us understand the reasons of the current ecological crisis as well as explore possible adaptive and mitigating strategies.
The course consists of two modules. First, we will review different forms, actors and platforms of environmental communication (i.e. news media, political communication, pop cultural artefacts, social media etc.) and possible methods for their analysis (i.e. rhetorical analysis, critical discourse analysis). Next students will work in groups to identify the local level form of a global environmental problem to be addressed as a project for the rest of the course. The research-based project aims to explore the material and discursive aspects of the problem, the actors shaping it, while taking into account the three pillars of sustainability. Following the in depth investigation of the topic students are required to formulate an action plan that could lead to the solution or mitigation of the problem. The course aims to engage students in grassroots environmental activism at the local level using communication tools, through a project based on their own choice and interest.
Introduction- 02.10
Overview of the course syllabus, discussing the main requirements and outlines of the group projects. Familiarisation with online tools for learning and communication, e.g. project work aids and resources, course themes, bibliographies etc. Explanation of the evaluation criteria.
How to define the environment- 02.17.
Video available: Nature as a concept
A historical overview of cultural changes regarding the concept of nature and the environment. What economic, social or environmental processes have shaped the relationship between human and nature? Why is the idea of exploitation and domination of nature (i.e.the capitalist economic system ) rooted in Europe?
An introduction to the field of environmental communication -02.24.
In contrast to critical categories of social oppression and inequality such as race, gender or class, has the issue of nature belatedly become a focus of cultural studies. What is the reason for this? What is environmental communication concerned with, what is ecocriticism and green cultural studies? The pragmatic and constitutive functions of environmental communication. E
Research methods -03.03.
From ecocriticism, through critical discourse analysis to rhetorical analysis. An overview of the most common research methods when analysing environmental discourse.
“Nature will be fine”- the far right and the environment- 03.10.
Authoritarian and populist political configurations are on the rise globally, which has alarming results for the environment. Exploring the commonalities of these regimes regarding their environmental politics and ideological ties to nationalism as well as their ambiguous relationship to neoliberal capitalism.
Project set up- first group presentation- .03.17., 03.24.
Greenwashing vs. Greenpeace- 04.14.
Nature in mass culture- 04.21.
We explore how nature is being symbolically constructed culturally through various pop cultural a
Group works and their presentations- 04.28, 05.05.
Summary 05.12.
“At the end of the course, the learner will be able to understand and critically examineany form of environmental communication.”
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Pezzullo, P. C., & Cox, R. (2018). Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere (5th Ed.). SAGE.
Pulido, L., Bruno, T., Faiver-Serna, C. & Galentine, C.(2019). Environmen
group work, group presentation, structured debates, seminars
Transcript of records