Themes in environmental humanities (DUH280)

This environmental humanities course is organized by The Greenhouse Center for Environmental Humanities at the University of Stavanger on various topics each time it is offered. The course awards 5 ECTS upon completion.

A reading list will be published with each specific course theme. The reading list (around 500 pages) will be picked in collaboration between external guest lecturers and local conveners. A month ahead of the course start, students will be given the list of material to be read before the class.


Course description for study year 2024-2025. Please note that changes may occur.

Facts

Course code

DUH280

Version

1

Credits (ECTS)

5

Semester tution start

Autumn

Number of semesters

1

Exam semester

Autumn

Language of instruction

English

Content

Environmental humanities is a relatively new but rapidly expanding radically transdisciplinary endeavour that complements environmental science and public policy.

Environmental humanities focuses on the cultural, historical, artistic and ethical dimensions of environmental issues. Rather than being a discipline, environmental humanities has been characterized as a "global intellectual movement" and a "new interdisciplinary matrix". Although environmental humanities as a field grows out of individual humanities disciplines working on environmental issues, environmental humanities is not an umbrella term that simply collects existing disciplinary-based research; rather, environmental humanities combines humanistic perspectives and fields to create shared points of reference. Environmental humanities broadly investigates the human-environment relationship, producing critical work, reflecting on scientific developments, and engaging in new and creative ways with natureculture transformations.

This course will focus on a specific theme, selected each time the course is offered, to explore the transdisciplinary nature of the environmental humanities. This is not an introductory course, but one that delves deep into a particular theme, drawing on a multitude of perspectives and approaches to extract complex and nuanced understandings. The course will be taught using a combination of external guest lecturers that are international experts in their fields, UiS faculty members, site visits, and student project work. The course emphasizes collaborative learning and project-based methodologies that connect theory, method, and practice. Students will have preparatory mandatory reading prior to the course meeting and project completion activities afterwards.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Students develop an understanding of:

  • selected transdisciplinary research theories, methods, and approaches in environmental humanities.
  • different communication channels for environmental humanities research

Skills

By the end of the course students will be able to:

  • critically apply appropriate environmental humanities theories and methods to a case study
  • create narratives to reach audiences outside of academia, including in digital delivery formats.
  • read and reflect upon academic literature beyond their home disciplinary field

Competencies

By the end of the course students will be able to:

  • engage with environmental concerns
  • demonstrate competency in communicating complex environmental humanities issues in understandable ways
  • follow rigorous scholarly practice, including research ethics

Required prerequisite knowledge

None

Exam

Form of assessment Weight Duration Marks Aid
Home exam 1/1 Passed / Not Passed

The students will produce a a 3000-word essay on the theme of the course.

Coursework requirements

Mandatory participation
Mandatory participation in the course days.

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Dolly Jørgensen

Course teacher:

Finn Arne Jørgensen

Course teacher:

Tyson Ashley Retz

Study Program Director:

Hein Berdinesen

Overlapping courses

Course Reduction (SP)
Themes in environmental humanities (DLV280_1) 5

Open for

Students enrolled in a doctoral programme at recognized universities anywhere in the world. Applicants may be turned down due to limitations on the number of places (15-20). Students affiliated with a partner institution of the Norwegian Researcher School in Environmental Humanities will be prioritized.

Course assessment

There must be an early dialogue between the course supervisor, the student union representative and the students. The purpose is feedback from the students for changes and adjustments in the course for the current semester.In addition, a digital subject evaluation must be carried out at least every three years. Its purpose is to gather the students experiences with the course.

Literature

Search for literature in Leganto