Environment and Society

3 credits · Undergraduate

In this course, we will explore relationships between the environment and society. We will begin with the formation of modern cities, including the forces that shape urban growth and inequality. We follow the "Great Acceleration" period of industrialization into the Anthropocene, or the current period in which humans are the primary drivers of changes to earth systems. Then we turn to research on disasters: what they mean for communities and individuals, what they reveal about pre-existing social conditions, and their implications for a climate-changed era. Lastly, we focus on current climate policies, especially as they relate to environmental management, militarism, water rights, and neighborhood change. This is a reading-based course. Students should expect to complete lengthy readings and be ready to respond to these readings in class each week. The class will culminate with a final paper, in which students apply course materials to a novel case of their choosing.