SOSGEO2302 ¨C Environment and Society

Course content

What are the social, economic, political and cultural processes that are driving the climate and biodiversity crisis and influencing responses? How can we understand the relationship between individual change, collective change and system change? And what is the role of worldviews and discourses, culture, social organization, power, inequality and globalization in these processes?

Throughout this course, we will explore different ways to view environmental issues, human-environment relationships and their social dimensions. Key concepts, theories and debates about environmental problems will be presented. The issue of climate change will be a focal point for examining different perspectives on drivers and responses of contemporary environmental change.

?As part of this course, students will take on a self-chosen 30-day experiment of personal behavior change. Examples of earlier challenge include reducing meat consumption, spending more time in nature, or limiting use of plastics. Students will use this challenge, as well as writing exercises in and between the seminars, as an entry point to reflect on relations between their own lives and larger social structures, as well as the role of individuals in addressing environmental change.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

• Understanding key concepts, theories and debates about environmental problems, including causes and responsibility, impacts and vulnerability, resilience, adaption, human security and energy justice
• Be familiar with different social drivers of environmental problems, such as globalization, culture, social organization, the role of capitalism and different features of modernity. Discuss the significance and relations between different drivers
• Explain the role that discourses, beliefs, worldviews and emotions play in framing problems and solutions
• Understand how contributions from the social sciences can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of environmental problems and solutions

Skills and competence

• Experience with relating individual experiences to larger social forces, activating the sociological and geographical imagination
• Improved ability to read, engage with and discuss scientific literature about climate change and environmental degradation
• Critically engaging with different perspectives and approaches to environmental problems, and experience with presenting and defending viewpoints among a group of students

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.

Overlapping courses

• 10 credits overlap with SGO2301 ¨C Environment and society (discontinued).
• 10 credits overlap with SGO2301P.
• 10 credits overlap with SOSGEO2301 ¨C Environment and society (discontinued).
• 10 credits overlap with SGO2302 ¨C Environment and society (continued).
• 10 credits overlap with SOSGEO2301P.

Teaching

The teaching consists of lectures and seminars held at the Blindern campus, University of Oslo, and will be given in English. The e-learning tool Canvas will be used.

During the course, students will also carry out a 30 day-experiment with personal behavior change of personal choice, and reflect on relationships to structures, systems, and assumptions about change (cChallenge).

In this course, students are obliged to:

• Attend at least four out of eight seminars offered throughout the semester, including the first seminar.
• Hand in at least 5 out of 7 reflective writing pieces from writing prompts provided in the seminars. The assignments will be related to course material and the cChallenge, and will be handed in on Canvas.

?

The reflective writing assignment will be graded as pass/fail. Students who have failed to complete the compulsory course work cannot take the exam.

Attendance in the first seminar is mandatory as it secures learning outcome throughout the course. The purpose and structure of the 30-day challenge and the reflective writing-pieces will also be introduced here.

Information about change of seminar group

Absence from compulsory tuition activities

In the event of illness or other valid reasons, you can apply for a valid absence or postponement of compulsory activity.

Apply for valid absence from or need for postponement of compulsory activity

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity. Completed and approved compulsory course work is valid until the course is no longer offered.

Examination

Examination

Written school examination (4 hours).

Examination support material

Students may use dictionaries at this exam. Dictionaries must be handed in before the examination. Please read?regulations for dictionaries permitted at the examination.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.