HEN618a Power, Politics and Environmental Change

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Christos Zografos (lecturer)
RNDr. Naděžda Vlašín Johanisová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Bc. Petra Burišková
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 20. 11. 16:00–19:40 U35, Thu 21. 11. 16:00–19:40 U23, Fri 22. 11. 14:00–17:40 U32
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! ENSn4618a Environmental Change &&!NOW( ENSn4618a Environmental Change )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course will be taught, in English, by Christos Zografos, PhD, JHU-UPF Public Policy Centre, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain • The main topic of the course will be Environmental Change and Governance. • The course explores some key ways in which power influences environmental change and governance, from an environmental social science perspective. The classes draw on the disciplines of political ecology, ecological economics, and environmental history that explain how environmental change is produced and what are its social implications. The purpose is to develop a critical understanding of environmental change and the relevance of power and politics in incurring this.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes:
After the end of the module, students should be in a position to:
1. Explain how power and politics are useful for understanding and studying environmental change
2. Use different approaches as to how power operates to explain the role politics play in producing environmental change
Syllabus
  • Classes are based on one reading (i.e. journal article or book chapter) done by students before the class. Students will answer a question (max. 500 words) based on the reading and bring their answers printed in class where some of them will be asked to present their answers. This will be followed by a 15-20 minutes class discussion on the question, the topics it touches upon and the issues it raises, which will be based on student answers to the question. The class is complemented with classroom activities and a more ‘traditional’ lecture format in which the tutor explains further points related to the topic and concludes with a summary of main points raised with the class. • Programme • Class Day Time Room • 1 Introduction, and capitalist natures • 2 Racialised natures, environmental justice, and othering • 3 Environmental subjects, disciplining and environmentality
Literature
  • Robbins, P. 2012. Political Ecology. John Wiley & Sons
  • Blaikie, P., 1985. The political economy of soil erosion in developing countries. Longman.
  • Brownlow, A. 2006. An archaeology of fear and environmental change in Philadelphia. Geoforum 37, pp. 227-245
  • Robbins, P. 2007. Do Lawn People Choose Lawns? In: Robbins, P. Lawn People: How Grasses, Weeds, and Chemicals Make Us Who We Are. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, pp. 96-116
  • Paulson, S., Gezon, L., Watts, M. 2005. Politics, ecologies, genealogies. In: Paulson, S., Geezon, L. (eds.) Political Ecology across Spaces, Scales, and Social Groups. New Jersey: Rutgers
Teaching methods
lectures, projections, class discussion, student assignments
Assessment methods
Students will be evaluated by their performance on two evaluation tools:
Final essay 70% of final mark
Class participation (including answers to class questions) 30% of final mark
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Spring 2015, Autumn 2016, Spring 2018, Autumn 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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