GEOGRAPHY 2412 ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE FALL 2011 Instructor: Professor Mara Goldman Lecture: T, TH, 11:00-11:50, MUEN E050 Office: Guggenheim 102A, 303-492-8794, [email protected] Office hours: Thurs 1-3, or by appointment Class Website: http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_2412_f11/ All class materials, including this syllabus, homework assignments, and announcements will be placed on the course website. Please check the site frequently! Updates and adjustments to the readings and the lecture and recitation schedules will be announced there. You are responsible for being aware of these changes. Teaching Assistants: Lead TA: Eric Reiff, [email protected] * Main contact for any recitation schedule conflict* Joshua Rodd [email protected], Sec: 102, 105, 112 Emily Graham [email protected], Sec: 103, 119 Meredith DeBoom [email protected], Sec: 107, 108, 117 Ian Rowen [email protected], Sec: 104, 113, 120 Julia Hicks [email protected], Sec: 106, 115, 101 Jamie Humphrey [email protected], Sec:109, 110, 118 Adam Williams [email protected], Sec: 111, 114, 116 Course topic The goals of this class are to increase your understanding of key contemporary environmental issues from the perspective of nature-society geography. In reading and in lecture we will explore global and regional environmental issues, with an emphasis on their social, political-economic, and cultural dimensions. Throughout the semester you will explore different perspectives on environmental issues, from how problems are defined to the types of solutions proposed. Throughout the class you will be encouraged to challenge different assumptions about nature-society relations in different contexts, as well as to re-think your own relationship with the environment. You should find that geography offers an integrated way of understanding some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues in all their complexity. Readings and Required textbook There is one required textbook, which is available at the University Bookstore. Robbins, P., J. Hintz, and S. Moore. 2010. Environment and Society. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. * Listed as E&S in readings below. Any additional assigned readings will be placed on the class webpage. Lecture readings, as listed in the class schedule, are required and are to be completed before coming to lecture. Recitation readings are also required and to be done before your recitation for that week. Course Structure Lectures on Tuesday and Thursday will cover key points that will build upon the reading that you have already done for that day. On occasion, I will show a relevant film related to the topic of the day. Exam questions will be taken from lectures, guest lectures, films, AND assigned readings. You are therefore EXPECTED to be in class AND do the reading to do well in this class. While there may sometimes be overlap between readings and lectures this will not always be the case and so you should not depend on it.2 Recitations, held once a week, are your opportunity to clarify any questions you may have about the lectures, and to discuss your views of contemporary environmental issues presented in lecture. This is also your opportunity to develop and defend your position through discussion and debate. In general, the recitations will review material covered in the previous week’s lectures, though there will be exceptions. Prior to your recitation section each week, you will be variously required to read an article or chapter, perform a short exercise, prepare a written assignment, and/or prepare answers to questions that will be used as your notes for discussion (but not turned in). The specific requirements for each week are listed in the schedule below, but are subject to change. Make sure to stay on top of the current schedule by attending recitation and checking on the class website. Participation in Recitation is Mandatory and Graded. Grades for recitation are based on attendance, participation, and assignments. While discussion preparation questions do not need to be handed in, your TA will check to see if you have done them, if you have not, or have done them only very superficially, points will be deducted from your participation grade for that day. This is to ensure that recitation discussions and debates are worthwhile and helpful. Assignments: There will be six written assignments that will be due in recitation, 5 of these will count for your total grade. These will be posted on the class website and you must turn them in during recitation. One assignment is an exercise looking at environmental justice. Four of the assignments involve preparing for and participating in a debate. Your debate grades will be based on a short (one page) write-up of your position with supporting references (from the book, class, and outside), and your participation in the debate. The lowest score of your four debate grades will be dropped. The final response paper is required and here you will return to one of the debates, restate or change your position and explain your reasoning. You will need to defend your argument against counter arguments that were posed in the debate, based on material from class, the debate, and outside sources. This paper will be 2-3 pages in length and details on structure will be posted on the website. The purpose of these written assignments is to deepen your understanding of the material presented in lecture to prepare you for recitation discussion. Be sure to look very carefully at the assignments the week before they are due, so that you can ask any questions you may have about them in recitation. Unless otherwise noted, assignments are to be typed. No late assignments will be accepted Your attendance is required at recitation. Exams There will be two midterm exams Tue Sept 27 and Tue Oct 25 in class. The highest score of these two will count 25% towards your final grade. The final exam will be held on Monday, December 12, 4:30pm-7pm. The format of the exams will be true-false, matching, and multiple-choice. Exams will test understanding of the concepts and processes presented in lectures and readings, and discussed in recitation sections. No make-up exams will be given. The only exceptions to the make-up exam policy are as follows: (1) The University allows students with 3 or more exams scheduled for a single day to take