Course: Sustainability Discourses and Environmental Sociology (4302-441)

Persons:

• Prof. Dr. Claudia Bieling (verantwortlich)
• Dr. Cinzia Piatti (begleitend)
• Julia Rietze (verwaltend)

Type of Course:

seminar with excercise

In-Class Hours Per Week:

4

Contents:

This course brings together current debates in sustainability science and policy and key concepts in environmental sociology. The aim is to deconstruct and better understand sustainability discourses using environmental sociology approaches.

This course will be dealing with a range of interrelated topics spanning from theory to contemporary issues. We will cover debates around material versus constructivist views of nature, nature/culture binaries and the relationship between economic systems. We will touch on political economy and political ecology, the environmental and new environmental politics and subjectivities. These concepts will be explored through application to important environmental issues worldwide.

We will work together to:
- understand the environment, environmental issues, sustainability discourses and environmental sociology. Different perspectives on the unique complexity of the environment give us some great tools upfront.
- answer questions such as what is nature? what is society? where do people fit into the environment? These are some of the key questions which will challenge your assumptions.
- problematize our economy’s assumption of infinite resources to make more products for our consumption. The readings help situate the issue of economy that assumes infinitude on a finite planet.
- conceptualize the role of knowledge in relationship to environmental issues.
- make sense of governance issues and the political paradigms that will determine the course of actions.

The aims of the course are to:
- Become familiar with the ideas and concepts related to environmental sociology and sustainability discourses;
- Understand different ways of conceptualizing the relationship between people, society and nature;
- Provide theoretical tools that can help students define and discuss environmental problems;
- Appreciate the value of thinking sociologically about the environment;
- Grasp the complexity related to environmental “problems”.

Literature:

Will be specified during course and uploaded to ILIAS.

Location:

Hohenheim

Remarks:

This course will be very student driven. For this reason, the course is open to a maximum of 25 students. During our scheduled class time (twice a week), students are expected to come to class and discuss the readings. There is no final exam; students will be assessed on the basis of: 1) two essays: students will submit via ILIAS two essays, one mid-semester and one at the end. These must necessarily make reference to the readings, and propose personal reflections on a selected topic chosen by a short list offered. 2) presentation of readings according to a self-assigned date: students will present one reading each according to a calendar compiled at the beginning of the course. The presentation will be followed by questions by the lecturer and the classmates, the answers and argumentation to which will concur in the mark for the final grade. A meaningful class participation is expected. This class is built on interaction between participants and lecturer. Participation involves being present in class having read the material: some students will present the selected readings; the others are expected to raise questions, listen to classmates and respond to their comments.

Module:

• 4302-440 Sustainability Discourses and Environmental Sociology (compulsory)