SUM4033 – Environmental Humanities: From Civil Disobedience to Extinction Rebellion

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

 

The Environmental Humanities is a new area of interdisciplinary studies of the environmental and climate crisis. Drawing on the legacy of, among others, Norway’s greatest nature philosopher, Arne Næss, the aim of this course to better understand the complex relation between cultural, economic and political sources of environmental degradation and the climate crisis. Its overarching goal is to propose new, audacious ways of creating a sustainable future.       

The course invites students to examine the environmental and climate crisis through the lens of philosophy and ethics, literary traditions, history, media, landscape studies, and the arts. The course covers thus a broad spectrum of research areas, such as environmental history and anthropology; climate and environmental ethics; literature/media studies; studies of the nexus environment-religion-ideology; studies of landscape and identity; studies of the relationship between culture, conflict and the climate crisis.

The objective of the course is to re-read the most "revolutionary" texts and actions in socio-environmental history – such as Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience,” Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, Arne Næss’s Deep Ecology in theory and action – to provide students with the knowledge of the literature which has changed the ways we think about development and the environment today.

The course is based on a rich combination of lectures, film-presentations, “creating the future” seminars, and Deep Time Walk.

Learning outcome

  • To understand the mechanisms of effective environmental communication;
  • To appreciate the connection between environmental ethics and cultural narratives on the one hand, and the environmental and climate crisis, on the other.
  • To critically evaluate big climate mobilizations, to better understand the conditions of achieving maximum success in combatting the climate crisis.

Admission

You may apply to be a guest student at SUM. Please follow these instructions.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

A bachelor’s degree. 

Recommended previous knowledge

Specialization equivalent to at least 80 ECTS within subjects from the humanities or social sciences, sustainable development, or equivalent relevant subjects. 

Teaching

The course is based on a rich combination of lectures, film-presentations, “creating the future” seminars, and Deep Time Journey - or learning environmental ethics and philosophy through direct interaction with nature.

Students are expected to actively take part in all the lectures and seminars. 

Examination

3 days home exam.

We recommend that students familiarize themselves with the course's assessment guide for previous exams.

Digital home examination

The home examination is conducted in the digital examination system Inspera.You will need to familiarize yourself with the digital examination arrangements in Inspera.

 Read more about home examinations using Inspera.

Use of sources and citation

You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

Resit an examination

Withdrawal from an examination

It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

Special examination arrangements

Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.

Evaluation

The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.

Facts about this course

Credits
10
Level
Master
Teaching
Every spring
Examination
Every spring
Teaching language
English