Overview of the interactions between societies and the natural environment. Examines both key environmental problems, like climate change and oil spills, and possible solutions, and the roles played by different social structures and groups in shaping both issues.
Taught with SOC 212; students may not receive credit for both courses.
This course looks closely at how different social groups, institutions and policies shape the ways food is produced, distributed and consumed in different parts of the world, especially the United States, and the social and environmental consequences of such a process. We look at the dramatic growth of factory farming and the social and political factors lying behind such rise, and alternatives such as sustainable farming, Farmers' Markets, and local food aspects of the food systems we examine, and the social actors and policies giving rise to such alternatives.
Taught with SOC 311; students may not receive credit for both courses.
Examination of main impacts of climate change and of different perspectives toward mitigation and adaptation: market based, institutionalist, bio-environmentalist, social movement, and climate justice.
Taught with SOCIOL 336; may not receive credit for both courses.
ENVR_POL 340 Global Environments and World History
An introductory course exploring the recent histories of environmental problems around the world, including urbanization, industrialization, population growth, commodification, empire-building, intercontinental warfare, energy extraction, and new technologies.
Taught with History 376-0; students may not receive credit for both courses.
ENVR_POL 390 Special Topics in Environmental Policy and Culture: International Environmental Politics
Environmental problems that transcend national borders are amongst the most intractable challenges facing our global community. Collective action problems are pervasive in negotiations and attempts to address, monitor, and enforce international environmental agreements are often weak. Yet, despite these constraints, international actors have designed and secured agreement in a variety of policy arenas, aiming to improve global environmental governance. Through a team-based approach to learning, we will explore how, why, and when the international community is able to overcome collective action problems and effectively address global environmental challenges. The course is divided into three parts. In the first part of the course, we will focus on the problems, institutions, and politics in global environmental governance. The second part of the course focuses on key concepts or themes in global environmental politics that shape our understanding of international cooperation in solving environmental problems, such as science, justice, markets, and security. In the third part of the course, students will participate in an extended negotiation simulation to examine the diverse actors and modes of engagement that define the politics around a particular issue.
