Political ecology(SP493)
| Course Code | Course Name | Semester | Theory | Practice | Lab | Credit | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP493 | Political ecology | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Prerequisites | |
| Admission Requirements |
| Language of Instruction | English |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Course Level | Bachelor Degree |
| Course Instructor(s) | Cemil YILDIZCAN cemilyildizcan@gmail.com (Email) |
| Assistant | |
| Objective | This course examines the relationship between society and the environment from critical and Marxist perspectives. It explores how power, politics, and ideology shape the ways in which people interact with nature and how these interactions affect both social and ecological systems. The course also focuses on the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits, the role of the state, and social movements in environmental governance. |
| Content | Overall, the course aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the relationship between society and the environment, and to equip them with the knowledge and skills to engage in environmental politics and advocacy from a critical and Marxist perspective. |
| Course Learning Outcomes |
• To understand the basic concepts and theories of political ecology, including the relationships between society, politics, power, and the environment. • To analyze environmental issues and conflicts from critical and Marxist perspectives, including their historical and social contexts. • To critically examine the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits based on race, class, and gender. • To explore the role of the state, corporate power, and social movements in environmental governance and justice. • To analyze the connections between global capitalism, imperialism, and environmental degradation. • To develop critical thinking and analytical skills through reading, writing, and discussion. • To understand the relevance and application of political ecology to contemporary environmental issues, policies, and practices. |
| Teaching and Learning Methods |
Although the course includes regular lectures by the instructor in each session, it is mainly based on in-class discussions. The format of the course is designed to allow for instructor-student interaction and students will be encouraged to participate in discussions. Students will be required to do readings before each class, the list of which will be announced for each session. A certain proficiency in French and English is required. Students should be able to read and understand scientific articles in English, as most of the literature on this subject is in English. |
| References |
Ernstson, H., & Swyngedouw, E. (Eds.). (2018). Urban political ecology in the anthropo-obscene: Interruptions and possibilities, NY, Routledge. Foster, J. B. (1999). Marx's theory of metabolic rift: Classical foundations for environmental sociology. American journal of sociology, 105(2), 366-405. Haraway, D. (2015). Anthropocene, capitalocene, plantationocene, chthulucene: Making kin. Environmental humanities, 6(1), 159-165. Martínez-Alier, J. (2012). Environmental justice and economic degrowth: an alliance between two movements. Capitalism Nature Socialism, 23(1), 51-73. Moore, J. (2015). Capitalism in the Web of Life: Ecology and the Accumulation of Capital. Londres, Verso Books. Roberts, J. T., & Parks, B. (2006). A climate of injustice: Global inequality, north-south politics, and climate policy. MIT press. Swyngedouw, E. (2011). Whose environment?: the end of nature, climate change and the process of post-politicization. Ambiente & sociedade, 14, 69-87. Tilzey, M. (2018). Political ecology, food regimes, and food sovereignty: Crisis, resistance, and resilience. Cham, Palgrave. Watts, M. J. (2015). The origins of political ecology and the rebirth of adaptation as a form of thought. In T. A. Perreault, G. Bridge, & J. McCarthy (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of political ecology (ss. 19-50). London?; New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Zimmerer, K. S., & Bassett, T. J. (Eds.). (2003). Political ecology: an integrative approach to geography and environment-development studies. Londres – NY, Guilford Press. |
Theory Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Political Ecology Introduction to the Course and Key Concepts |
| 2 | Marxist Perspectives on Nature and Society |
| 3 | The Anthropocene and the Environmental Crisis |
| 4 | Political Ecology of Development and Growth |
| 5 | Environmental Governance and the State |
| 6 | Social Movements and Environmental Resistance |
| 7 | Political Ecology of Urban Environments |
| 8 | The Problem of the Urban-Rural Binary |
| 9 | Political Ecology of Energy and Extractivism |
| 10 | Environmental Justice, Class, Race and Gender |
| 11 | Political Ecology and Food Systems |
| 12 | Presentations |
| 13 | Presentations |
| 14 | Conclusion and synthesis |
Practice Topics
| Week | Weekly Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 |
Contribution to Overall Grade
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution of in-term studies to overall grade | 2 | 50 |
| Contribution of final exam to overall grade | 1 | 50 |
| Toplam | 3 | 100 |
In-Term Studies
| Number | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 0 | 0 |
| Presentation | 1 | 40 |
| Midterm Examinations (including preparation) | 0 | 0 |
| Project | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory | 0 | 0 |
| Other Applications | 0 | 0 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 |
| Term Paper/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Portfolio Study | 0 | 0 |
| Reports | 0 | 0 |
| Learning Diary | 0 | 0 |
| Thesis/ Project | 0 | 0 |
| Seminar | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 10 |
| Toplam | 2 | 50 |
| No | Program Learning Outcomes | Contribution | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1 | Understanding the major theories, concepts, foundations, and methodologies used in the study of politics. | X | ||||
| 2 | Identifying the structure and operation of the political system in Turkey and other political systems in the world. | X | ||||
| 3 | Identifying and gathering information from credible primary and secondary sources; analyzing and synthesizing the acquired knowledge. | X | ||||
| 4 | Generating and testing empirically hypotheses about political processes, institutions, mechanisms and relationships. | |||||
| 5 | Designing, conducting and interpreting the results of original research in accordance with the scientific and ethical principles by using basic research methods. | X | ||||
| 6 | Showing awareness and sensivity towards issues related to democracy, human rights and social peace. | X | ||||
| 7 | Appraising the sources of societal conflict and how they can be resolved by political means. | X | ||||
| 8 | Examining critically the nature of change in the global political community, and the complex character of processes such as globalization. | X | ||||
| 9 | Taking a role in a teamwork in political science and general fields of other related disciplines. | X | ||||
| 10 | Following publications in foreign languages and communicating with the colleagues in the international environment by using French which is the language of education in Galatasaray University and English, the compulsory foreign language. | X | ||||
| 11 | Using required level of information and communication technologies. | X | ||||
| Activities | Number | Period | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Hours | 14 | 3 | 42 |
| Working Hours out of Class | 13 | 4 | 52 |
| Assignments | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Presentation | 1 | 25 | 25 |
| Final Examinations (including preparation) | 1 | 18 | 18 |
| Total Workload | 147 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 | 5.88 | ||
| Credits ECTS | 6 | ||