Consumption, Health, and the Environment

3 credits

There are many health and environmental impacts associated with consumption activities, yet such impacts often remain hidden or obscured in the course of everyday life. In this applied course, students will examine health and environmental issues associated with consumption activities. Over the course of the semester, students will learn concepts from environmental health, environmental sociology, the sociology of consumption, and public policy. Each student will engage in an original preliminary research project on a contemporary issue related to consumption and environmental health. Students will develop an understanding of the power dynamics and inequalities associated with identifying, defining, managing, and mitigating the health and environmental impacts of consumption activities. Skills, perspectives, and analytic frameworks learned in this course will be useful for students in their roles as individual consumers, citizens, and professionals.