This course will explore the relationship between environment and society through its focus on drivers, impacts, and responses to climate change. Drawing on multiple perspectives, it is designed to provide a survey in three key segments (1) causes and drivers of climate change (2) impacts and effects of climate change (3) coping responses and adaptive measures being taken in response to climate change and the effects (positive or negative) they may have on the already strained natural system.
The underlying contention of this course is that a deeper understanding of environment and society, showcased through climate change, is made possible through attention to varying and at times, competing framings. These explanations are rooted in the worldviews of scholars and ideas of nature-society interactions. This set of arrangements provides the foundation of debates and policies on climate change in policy, academic, and public domains.
Considering that drivers and long and short-term effects of climate change implicate many other issues, devising effective solutions requires a multidisciplinary approach. Hence, this course focuses on developing a well-rounded understanding of these issues.
While the course prescribes diverse readings, students will be able to understand the contents with the help of the instructor. The goal of this course is for students to develop deeper thinking, writing, and communication skills on complex social and ecological challenges facing the world.