Communicating Development and Environment: Critical Debates and Alternative Strategies

3 credits · Graduate

How we communicate about social and environmental justice matters a lot, especially in times of increasing political polarization and climate anxiety. The communication strategies of NGOs, governments, media outlets, cultural producers and ordinary people play important roles in shaping the ways other people understand these issues and whether and how they act on them. But many of us struggle to have conversations with people who think differently, and some of us don’t engage at all with people we disagree with. In this course students will develop the skills to critically analyze communications about global social and environmental issues from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives AND will learn to design and put into practice communications strategies for public audiences using a range of media (text, speaking, images, podcasts, video, music and sound). The skills of effective communication and public engagement are in increasing demand in all sectors of the economy and society. Course assignments focus on practical communication skills. RESTRICTIONS: Restricted to students enrolled in the MA Program in International Development Studies or by permission from the Instructor. EXCLUSIONS: INTD 4405 FORMATS: Lecture