Environment and Society 2077

Fall 2006

Tuesday and Thursday 8:00-9:15

HUMN 1B80

 

Instructor: Megan Murphy                            Phone: 303-641-2510

Office: Ketchum 8                                          Email: Megan.Murphy@colorado.edu

Office Hours: Monday 1-3 and by appt.       Mailbox: Ketchum 219

 

Required Texts:

Bell, Michael. 2004. An Invitation to Environmental Sociology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge

Press.

 

Kingsolver, Barbara. 2000. Prodigal Summer. New York. HarperCollins.

 

Additional readings are available on E-reserve through the Chinook system.  You can access these articles at http://libraries.colorado.edu/screens/coursereserves.html

 

Purpose and objectives of Course:

We all live in both the environment and society, but rarely do we pay attention to what these terms really mean and how they interact with one another.  This course explores both of these problems by addressing the bolded questions below.  Each question is then followed by a list of learning objectives for that section of the course.  We will return to these objectives several times during the course to evaluate our progress.  These objectives should also serve as guidelines to you about how well you are doing in the course.

            How do we define and experience nature?

·         Explain what is meant by the social construction of the environment

·         Identify two or three dominant conceptions of nature

·         Describe the social and environmental consequences of two competing definitions of nature

·         Analyze a text to determine key aspects of the author’s definition of nature

·         Describe the relationship between people’s attitudes about the environment and their willingness to engage in environmentally friendly behaviors

·         Develop questions to explore an individual’s environmental perspective

·         Discuss how race and class can influence a person’s experience of the environment

            How does capitalism influence our relationship with the environment?

·         Describe three major theories about environmental destruction

·         Apply the theories of environmental destruction to a case study

·         Understand the impact individual action can have upon the environment but also be able to see the structural and cultural limitations of individual action

·         Identify the interaction between capitalism and the environment on both the local and global levels.

            How do we conceive of and deal with environmental problems?

·         Describe the environmental movement: when it came about, how it progressed and where it is now.

·         Understand they dynamics of the labor vs. environment conflict

·         Discuss how the environmental movement differs in some non-western nations

·         Relate knowledge of the environmental movement to the current cultural understanding of the environment and environmental activists.

 

Group work expectations: In this class there will be a significant portion of the work done in groups.  I expect that everyone will participate and be engaged in these activities.  I understand that group work presents many challenges and I expect each group to work these difficulties out to the best of their ability.  If there are problems in the group, I encourage you to talk to me.  I will gladly function as a mediator to encourage more productive group collaboration.

 

Attendance:  If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what we discussed.  Do not call or email me to find out what you missed.  My notes are not available for your viewing pleasure.  You should utilize your group members and other friends in the class to find what fun and exciting information you missed.

 

Email:  I will not accept any assignments via email.  Please do not email me questions about your grade.  University policy prohibits the discussion of student grades via email.  This policy is intended to protect you; your grade is a private matter, and email is a public forum.  If you wish to discuss your grade, please make an appointment with me.  Otherwise email is an excellent way for you to ask questions about the material covered in the course. 

 

Turning in Work:  All assignments must be submitted in class on the date they are due.  Assignments placed in my mailbox or emailed to me will not be acknowledged.  If you are unable to attend class when work is due, I expect you to submit it to me before the assignment is due or have someone turn it in for you during class. 

 

Late Work: I do not encourage students to turn in assignments late, but I understand that this world is full of uncertainties.  For this reason, I am providing every student with one Get out of Jail, Free card.  You may use this card at any time during the semester to help when unforeseen circumstances interfere with your ability to turn in an assignment.  This card must be presented to me by the next class meeting after the assignment is due.  We will then find a time to meet within the week.  During this meeting we will determine when you will have the assignment completed and the consequences if you do not meet this new deadline. 

This card does not excuse you from turning in the                                                                            assignment. 

 

Classroom Decorum:  Please plan to arrive on time and stay for the duration of the class.  If you do find yourself running late, please enter the classroom as quietly as possible.  There are two activities that I find particularly unacceptable: packing up early and holding side conversations.  I cannot emphasize enough how much these activities distract from our ability to learn from each other and maintain a productive classroom environment.  If you are holding a disruptive side conversation, I will first give you a warning and the next time it happens I will ask you to lave the classroom.  While in class please listen attentively, refrain from whispering, reading materials not related to class, and/or surfing the Internet. 

 

Cell phones:  Turn off your cell phone before you enter the classroom.  (Vibrate is not off – it still makes enough noise to disrupt the classroom.)  If you should happen to forget this and your cell phone does go off during class, turn it off immediately or leave the room promptly – DO NOT answer it.  If you need to keep your cell phone on due to a personal emergency, let me know before class starts.

 

Disability statement:  If you have a physical, psychiatric, or learning disability and require accommodations, please let me know by September 8th so that your needs may be appropriately met.  You will need to provide documentation of your disability to Disability Services (Willard 322; 303-492-8671).  If you have an undocumented disability and would like extra time on exams, let me know within the first two weeks of class.

 

Religious Holidays: The University of Colorado at Boulder has a legal and moral obligation to accommodate all students who must be absent from classes or miss scheduled exams in order to observe religious holidays.  You will not be penalized for missing class due to a religious observance, but you must notify me of any scheduling conflicts in writing by September 8th.

 

Academic Integrity: Cheating is defined as using unauthorized materials or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination or other academic exercise.  Plagiarism is defined as using another’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgment.  Either of the above actions will result in a grade of F (0%) on the assignment.  The University will also be notified if cheating occurs.  Just to be absolutely clear the following are some examples of cheating: asking someone for help during an exam; bringing unauthorized notes to an exam; buying a paper from the internet or someone else.  If you are working on a group project that requires an individual paper, you may discuss the main ideas of a paper with your group members but you must write the entire paper yourself. 

 

Assignments:

Your grade for this course will be based upon your completion of four writing assignments, one group evaluation, and one group presentation.   There are no tests in this course.  Each of these assignments will be explained thoroughly in class and written instructions will be distributed.  However, to give you an idea of what to expect in this class, here is a brief outline of each assignment.

            Introductory Letter

The purpose of this assignment is for me to get to know you and a bit about your expectations for the class.  This assignment is rather informal, but there will be a list of questions you will be expected to respond to in the letter (e.g. how do you best contribute in small groups, how would you describe your participation in large group discussions). I encourage you to express your creativity in the letter.  Feel free to attach a photo so I can start to learn names and faces.      

 

Defining Nature Assignment

This assignment will create a foundation for the rest of the class by establishing exactly what we mean by the word ‘nature’.  This assignment will be developed in groups, although your final written assignment will be completed individually.  The written work will look a bit more like a take home essay test than a cohesive paper.  Part of your course grade will also be based upon your peers’ evaluation of your participation in this project.     

 

            Short Response Papers

These papers are for you to further explore the concepts learned in class.  There are 5 options, but you only need to complete 4.  You will not get extra credit for completing all 5.  Each assignment has a specific due date so make sure you do not fall behind.  Feedback on these assignments will be minimal.  If you successfully complete the assignment and turn it in on time, you will receive full points.  If you want more feedback on any of these assignments, bring it to my office hours and we can discuss it.  

 

Understanding Perspectives (Interview) Assignment

This assignment challenges you to integrate information you gather through an interview with concepts discussed in class. This will be a chance for you to practice some sociological methods and find out more about the world around you.  We will discuss some of the nuts and bolts about conducting an interview before you are expected complete the assignment.

 

Grades:

 

Your grade will be based upon the following point distribution:

 

5 %      20 points         Introductory letter

5%       20 points         Short Response Papers (4 papers each worth 5 points)

12.5%  50 points         Defining Nature Assignment 

2.5%    10 points         Group Participation in Defining Nature Assignment

25%     100 points       Understanding Perspectives (Interview) Assignment

25%     100 points       Test 1

25%     100 points       Final Exam

 

Total points possible: 400

 

 

Course Schedule

How do we define nature?

Week 1

    Aug. 29                   First day of Class

    Aug. 31                   Bell Chapter 8 “The Human Nature of Nature”

 

Week 2

    Sept. 5                     Prodigal Summer pp 1-100

    Sept. 7                     Prodigal Summer pp. 101-203

                                    Due: Intro Letter

                                   

Week 3

     Sept. 12                  Prodigal Summer pp. 204-330

     Sept. 14                  Prodigal Summer pp. 331-444

                                    Due: Short Response Paper #1 – Take a Hike

 

How do we interact with or experience nature?

 

Week 4

     Sept. 19                  Online Reading: Macnaghten &Urry “Sensing Nature”

     Sept. 21                  Online Readings: Dillard “Seeing” and Ehrlich “Landscape”

                                    Poster Presentations

 

Week 5

     Sept. 26                  Bell Chapter 6 “Ideology of Environmental Domination”

                                    Due: Defining Nature Paper

     Sept. 28                  Online Readings: Burton Chapters 6&7 in Worship and Wilderness

 

Week 6

     Oct. 3                     Bell Chapter 7 “Ideology of Environmental Concern”

Oct. 5                     Online Reading: Mol “Ecological Modernization”

 

Week 7

Oct. 10                   Bell Chapter 9 “The Rationality of Risk”

Oct. 12                   Online Reading: Shriver “Risk and Recruitment”

                               Due: Short Response Paper #2 Risk

                                   

How does capitalism influence our relationship with the Environment?

Week 8

Oct. 17                   Online Reading: Brown and Mikkelsen “No Safe Place”

Oct. 19                   Test 1

 

Week 9

     Oct. 24                   Bell Chapter 2 “Consumption and Materialism”

     Oct. 26                   Online Readings: Elgin “Voluntary Simplicity” and Taylor and Tilford “Why Consumption Matters”

                                    Due: Short Response Paper #3 Footprint

 

Week 10

Oct. 31                   Online Readings: Lindlof and Taylor “Asking, Listening and Telling”

Nov. 2                    Bell Chapter 3 “Money and Machines”

 

Week 11

Nov. 7                    Online Reading: Hawken, Lovins, and Lovins “Natural Capitalism”

Nov. 9                    Online Reading: McKibben “A Special Moment in History”

                                    Due: Short Response Paper #4 Interview Assignment

 

How do we conceive and deal with environmental problems?

 

Week 12

Nov. 14                  Online Reading: Humphrey, Lewis, and Buttel “The Environmental Movement”

Nov. 16                  Online Readings: Freudenburg, Wilson and O’Leary “Forty Years of

Spotted Owls” and Obach “Labor-Environmental Relations”

 

Week 13                     No Class – Happy Thanksgiving

 

Week 14

     Nov. 28                  Bell Chapter 5 “Body and Health”

     Nov. 30                  Online Readings: Bullard “Anatomy of Environmental Racism” and Pellow, Weinberg, and Schnaiberg “The Environmental Justice Movement”

                                    Due: Understanding Perspectives Paper   

 

Week 15

Dec. 5                     Online Readings: Phoenix “Getting the Lead Out of the Community” and Collin and Harris, Sr. “Race and Waste in Two Virginia Communities” and Kleinberg “Heatwave”

     Dec. 7                     Bell Chapter 10 “Organizing the Ecological Society”

                                    Due: Short Response Paper # 5 Success Story

 

Week 16

Dec. 12                   Online Readings: Moore: Coalition Building between Native American and Environmental Organizations” and Glazer and Glazer “On the Trail of Courageous Behavior”

 

     Dec. 14                   No Readings Due

                                    Last Day of Class

 

Final Exam    Tuesday Dec. 19th        8-10am