Topic 1. Introduction: environmental degradation & economic development (Kuznets). China & Germany. Topic 2. Soil degradation & ecological imperialism (Crosby). India & Australia. Topic 3. Global Warming & Tragedy of commons (Hardin, Ostrom). Thailand (2 cases). Topic 4. Waste disposal, plastic pollution & Commodification of nature (Castree). Pakistan & Japan. Topic 5. Overfishing & Treadmill of production (Schnaiberg). Vietnam & South Korea. Topic 6. Illegal mining & Ecological justice (Chakrabarty). Kazakhstan & Canada. Topic 7. Water scarcity & Scarcity (Hanemann, Pereira). Mongolia & Arab Emirates. Topic 8. Mid-term: every student analyzes the case, using concepts allocated by lot. Topic 9. Loss of biodiversity & Environmental services (Valuation, Marketization & Monetization). Malaysia & China. Topic 10. Human health & One health framework (Virchow, WHO). The game 'co-operation of agencies to solve environmental problems'. Topic 11. Students' presentations. Topic 12. Anthropocene, Capitalocene (Tsing, Haraway, Moore). The EU "Green deal".
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This course offers students a multi-disciplinary approach to exploring environmental issues both theoretically and practically. It examines various pressing ecological challenges, including climate change, soil degradation, global warming, waste disposal and plastic pollution, overfishing and wildlife trade, illegal mining, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, human health, and technological catastrophes. To explore these topics, the course draws on concepts from a range of social sciences that address environmental problems. Through these conceptual frameworks, students will engage in detailed analyses of case studies from various Asian countries (and occasionally other regions). Each session will focus on two case studies: one positive (where countries or communities have successfully addressed an environmental issue) and one negative (where an environmental problem has escalated into a crisis). For example, the course examines the issue of overfishing in Vietnam and South Korea through the lens of the "treadmill of production" concept, proposed by Schnaiberg. We analyze waste disposal and plastic pollution problem using the "commodification of nature" framework (Castree), focusing on Pakistan and Japan. By integrating theoretical perspectives with real-world case studies, the course equips students with the analytical tools needed to understand and tackle complex, interconnected environmental challenges. Each class will begin with a brief lecture in which the instructor explains a particular concept, followed by an interactive discussion of case studies. In the middle of the semester, there will be a practical test to assess students' understanding of the material. For this test, each student will be assigned a case and randomly select a concept, which they will use to analyze the case. During the 11th session, a simulation game will allow students to take on the roles of representatives from various agencies involved in solving environmental problems (e.g., WHO, WOAH, FAO). In the final session, students will present their own case studies and analyze them using the concepts learned throughout the course.
By integrating theoretical perspectives with real-world case studies, the course equips students with the analytical tools needed to comprehend and address the complex and interconnected environmental challenges of our time.
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