Fall 2021 - GEOG 389W D100
Nature and Society (4)
Class Number: 4310
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Rosemary-Claire Collard
rcollard@sfu.ca
Office: RCB 7224
Office Hours: Tuesdays 10am-noon (tentative) -
Instructor:
Liam Kennedy-Slaney
lak9@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
At least 45 units, including GEOG 100 or REM 100.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Examines the relationship between nature and society, covering the dominant geographical approaches to human-environment interaction, and their social, spatial, and political economic effects. Writing.
COURSE DETAILS:
The human-environment relationship is a high-stakes one. Humans depend inescapably on ecological systems, but economies today grow by degrading these ecologies. From escalating extinction levels to climate change, humans – some more than others – are modifying environments at a rapid pace with devastating consequences for many species’ lives and ways of living. Humans, too, bear these consequences – but not equally. For a long time, some people have profited from ecological change while others have lost out. As a result, the relationships between society and nature, or humans and the world beyond humans, are sites of intense political struggle. To explore these relationships and struggles, in this course we draw on geographical and critical approaches, including political ecology, environmental justice, and Indigenous and ecofeminist thought. Through academic and popular readings, writing-focused assignments, lectures, films, and class discussion, the course stages conversation between students and 1) cultural commentaries on nature-society relations, 2) academic ideas about ecological issues, and 3) people struggling to institute more equitable relations with nature. Students will thus refine their ability to contribute to public debate over key nature-related issues, and to make connections between these issues by situating them in shared systems and histories.
*There will be no tutorials during the first week of class
Grading
- 3 Reading/film response essays 30%
- Midterm exam 25%
- Position paper 25%
- Tutorial attendance, preparation/questions and participation 20%
NOTES:
Evaluation (tentative)
Grading scale
A+ 90-100
A 85-89
A- 80-84
B+ 76-79
B 72-75
B- 68-71
C+ 64-67
C 60-63
C- 55-59
D 50-54
F 0-49
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
No required course textbook
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021
Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place. Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes. You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).
Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required. You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.