Environmental Sociology (300-level)

Abstract

Why is it necessary to study Environmental Sociology? - The world is still experiencing the shock of the Coronavirus Pandemic, and is expected to see its various socioeconomic and psychosocial effects manifest over the next few years. Moreover, in the light of other problems like climate change, the challenges faced by environmental justice movements and...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Environmental Sociology

Resource Type(s):

Assessment, Assignment, Essay, Syllabus, Website

Class Level(s):

College 300

Class Size(s):

Small

Usage Notes

Moodle/Blackboard could serve as acceptable alternatives to Canvas.

This course surveys a wide range of textbooks and articles that span multiple geographies, and include work that is both canonical and contemporary in nature. It would be best suited to Juniors and Seniors with a minimum of 3 credits of coursework in Sociology, though students...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Familiarization with the broad themes of Environmental Sociology from an interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural perspective.
2. Professionalization, in the context of being able to critically engage with environmental studies literature through a well-structured, co-authored (quantitative or qualitative) research paper.
3. Being able to explain concepts such as "Risk Society", "Environmental justice", "Ecofeminism", and "Deep Ecology". Applying the “Risk Society” framework in the context of understanding global pandemics, and disasters such as the Chernobyl Disaster.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Between weeks 3-15, seven bi-weekly online discussion forum exercises will be made available to students on Canvas. Based on pre-assigned readings, each student is required to post a reading memo on our Canvas discussion forum. (30% of the overall grade)
2. Using an assigned article/book chapter for a given week, students will identify and outline the major sociological theories and issues involved and offer their own analysis of the topic via an Article Review. (10% of the overall grade)
3. A semester-long project, where students are expected to work in groups of three, as assigned by the instructor. The end product would be a co-authored research paper that they could utilize for poster competitions/symposiums. (50% of the overall grade)