University Bulletin
Undergraduate Degree Programs
GEOG 130
(GS)
Environment, Power, and Justice (3) This course explores contemporary themes in human-environment relations through the lens of political ecology.
GEOG 130 Environment, Power, and Justice (3)
(GS)
Relationships between human societies and their physical environments are a defining concern of geography. This course will give students an in-depth knowledge of contemporary human-environment studies in geography through an introduction to the field of political ecology. Political ecology is an interdisciplinary approach that combines environmental justice, cultural ecology, and other related approaches in order to undertake an integrated, holistic assessment of the relationships between social and ecological change, with a particular focus on issues of power and justice in the areas of environmental change and management. In particular, it analyzes the relationships between social and ecological marginalization and change; the social issues surrounding conservation of protected natural areas and species; the underlying causes of environmental conflicts; issues of justice and distribution as they relate to the production and consumption of environmental goods and services; and the role of environmental considerations in the formation of individual and group identities, including environmental social movements.
Students in this course will gain familiarity with a wide range of theories and methods in central to contemporary human-environment geography, and increase their knowledge of the world in general, and of environmental policy challenges in particular, by learning how those theories and methods have been put to use in the analysis of case studies from many different countries and continents. Students will be evaluated based on the understanding of the course material they display in a midterm and final examination, and on their contribution towards a group research project.
Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.