Syllabus
| Pol S 334 Spring 2012 | Weds. 4:00pm-6:40pm, LA-2203 |
|---|---|
Professor: Keith Pezzoli, Ph.D. |
Office hours: Weds. 1:45pm-3:45pm Office location: NH 108b |
Course Description
Pol S 334 examines environmental politics from a diverse range of interwoven perspectives: historical, comparative, economic, socio-cultural, socio-technical, scientific, ecological and global. We'll concentrate our discussion on the role of environmental politics in the planning and development of cities, towns, and regions. Over the past four decades, governments have been preoccupied with economic interdependence--the coupling of local and national economies into a global system. But the world has moved beyond economic interdependence to ecological interdependence. Although the world's economy and the earth's ecology have become increasingly inter-meshed, they remain separate in our institutions and in the minds of policy makers. The result has been a wide range of both domestic and international policies that have begun to seriously deplete or degrade the earth's natural capital--including its rivers, lakes, and oceans; its soils and forests; its flora and fauna; and ecosystem services. Pol S 334 documents these trends while stimulating critical, evidence-based discussion in class about the prospects for a new politics of the environment for the 21st century. We'll discuss past, current and potential roles for economic markets and community commons, social mobilization and alternative development, sustainability science and technology, city-region governance and ecological democracy.Learning Goals and Objectives
Pol S 334 has two major goals: (1) Help students develop a socio-ecological understanding of environmental politics, including ways in which poverty, social injustice and environmental degradation interact in our increasingly globalized world; and (2) Inspire students by providing them with examples of solutions-based environmental activism that improves quality of life and place through problem-solving partnerships and action research. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:- Identify key global socio-economic, socio-technical and ecological megatrends that impact the content and process of environmental politics.
- Understand environmental politics—including the birth and so-called death of mainstream environmentalism—from historical and globally comparative perspectives.
- Think about the politics of the environment and prospects for sustainable development in new integrated ways—taking into account interdependencies that bridge human-nature, urban-rural, metro-hinterland, economy-ecology, and local-global divides.
- Describe asymmetrical power relationships that underpin uneven development locally and globally—calling into view social and environmental justice, ethics and the sociology of knowledge.
- Grasp how informal economic growth and green jobs are changing the landscape of environmental politics.
- Explain the role of science (especially ecology, physics and psychology) in environmental politics, policy, planning and democracy.
Course Requirements
This is primarily a lecture course, supplemented with discussions, films, and guest speakers. Regular attendance and informed participation are required. You should not take this class if you will be unable to keep up on the demanding reading load. All lectures, discussions, and written assignments assume that you have carefully read and reflected on each week's materials prior to each session. Academic dishonesty is strictly forbidden. All written work must be your original work. Please familiarize yourself with the University's policy on cheating and plagiarism, see pages 16-17 of the Senate Policy File at: http://senate.sdsu.edu/. Late papers will not be accepted without a serious, documented excuse (e.g., medical emergency, death in the family).
| Exams/ Assignments | Date due |
% Grade |
Midterm Exam An in-class exam composed of definitions, multiple choice, and essay questions. |
Mar. 14 | 30 |
| Essay 7-10 page essay on list of topics provided. Due on or before April 11, 2012. Or Participation in Vacant Lot Survey, due on or before April 25, 2012 |
April 11 (essay) April 25 (lot survey) |
20 |
Final Exam An in-class exam composed of definitions, multiple choice, and essay questions |
May 16 | 40 |
Class Participation Based on in-class participation and attendance |
May 2 | 10 |
Extra Credit In hardship cases where a student may be at risk of failing the course, a suitable extra credit assignment can be done for up to 5 pts with prior approval of the professor |
May 16 | (5) |
| TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS | 100 | |
Required Reading
There are five required books—all available for purchase at the SDSU bookstore. Additional readings are posted on our Pol S 334 web site (organized weekly by theme), including: journal articles, government reports, news clips, and links to web pages. The professor provides detailed notes and study guides online to help you navigate all this material. It is crucial to attend lectures so you’ll know how best to focus your reading and study efforts.
- Gottlieb, Robert and Anupama Joshi. 2010. Food justice. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Kraft, Michael E. 2011. Environmental policy and politics. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
- Nordhaus, Ted and Michael Shellenberger. 2007. Break through : from the death of environmentalism to the politics of possibility. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- Ophuls, William. 2011. Plato's revenge : politics in the age of ecology. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
- Pezzoli, Keith. 2000. Human settlements and planning for ecological sustainability : the case of Mexico City. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Map of the classroom location: LA-2203
