Environmental Justice
This course begins with the premise that all people have a right to live in a clean environment free from hazardous pollution or contamination, and to the natural resources necessary to sustain health and livelihood. With this as the starting point, we will question why and through what social, political, and economic processes some people are denied these rights. We will explore the systems and social relations of production and power that create these outcomes and the responses by social movements, communities, and public policy efforts that work to secure these rights for all people.
In this course we will cover the concept of environmental justice generally, and the history of the environmental justice movement in particular as it has emerged over the past decades in the US. We will explore specific case studies in the South and in the US, and briefly touch on international issues and perspectives. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to the topic of environmental justice offering political, economic, social, and cultural perspectives on how environmental issues interact with race, class, gender, and ability. Students will be encouraged to investigate how issues of environmental justice affect places of importance to them, such as their hometowns or places of residence. This course requires active participation in discussions and critical assessments of the implications of environmental in/justice from both theoretical and practical standpoints.
Food Sovereignty
Food sovereignty is a term often used to refer to the right and freedom of people to grow, maintain, and consume healthy and diverse food. The term usually encompasses political, economic and social rights of people to have access to affordable and healthy food, to grow food in a healthy and sustainable manner, and to determine the best methods and products for their own communities. This course examines what food sovereignty means, how is it connected to sustainability, and what are the components involved in providing and promoting food sovereignty. To answer these questions, we will first explore the current global agricultural system and the effects it has on farmers, their families and their communities. We will look at current dominant trends in the agricultural system such as the Green Revolution, food security efforts, agricultural trade, and food aid and relief. This course will explore how international and global agricultural programs, often initiated by “northern” or “developed” countries affect farmers in the global south. We will then explore farmer movements, resistance, and farmer organizations that are responding to, reforming, and/or recreating the agricultural system. This course is designed to help students understand the complex network of policies, economies, and social and cultural practices that shape food systems.
Sustainable Development
The course provides an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of sustainable development, drawing on the most recent developments in the social, policy, and physical sciences. The fundamental question is how the world economy can continue to develop in a way that is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable. The course describes the complex interactions between the world economy and the Earth's physical environment. Ecological processes and constraints (climate, disease ecology, physical resources such as soils and energy sources, topography and transport conditions) significantly shape the patterns of economic development, demography, and wealth and poverty. At the same time, human activities (farming, land use, urbanization, demographic change, and energy use) change the physical environments, increasingly in dangerous ways. The course offers a broad overview of the key challenges and potential solutions to achieve sustainable development in the 21st century and provides students with a foundation for further reading and study focused on particular sectors and development issues.