Course syllabus

 

POLITICS 313: Governing Planet Earth

SEMESTER 2, 2020

15 points

 

Well-Being Always Comes First We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there. For more information, look at this Canvas page, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

 

Course Co-ordinator:

Julie MacArthur - j.macarthur@auckland.ac.nz

Office hours 1-2pm Fridays via Zoom while we're in lockdown. Book a 15 minute appointment here.

Graduate Teaching Assistant:

Benjamin Richardson - bric864@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Course delivery format:

2 hours of lectures and 1 discussion hour -

106-204 (Biology Building, Room 204)/ Zoom lectures & discussion hours during lockdown weeks

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

Course Description:         

From climate change and land-use conflicts to air and water pollution, environmental problems play an increasingly important role in the contemporary political landscape. In this course we examine the relationship between the exercise of political power and environmental degradation, which opens up questions such as: what does it mean to be ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’? How do political institutions shape environmental policies and practices?  Which actors should bear the costs environmental problems and their solutions? This course critically examines the role of different ideologies and institutions in shaping these challenges and the solutions to them. It draws from examples around the globe. Topics include: limits to growth, sustainable development, ecological modernization, ecolocalism and environmental justice.

NEW: COURSE FAQ

 Course outcomes:

On successful completion of this paper students will be able to:

• Compare and critically discuss a range of theoretical perspectives in environmental politics;
• Understand the political nature of a range of contemporary environmental challenges;
• Analyze how varied actors, sectors, and public institutions play important roles in enhancing or eroding environmental sustainability;
• Identify the characteristics of multilevel institutions shaping environmental challenges and their solutions;
• Gain experience conducting online and library research, constructing evidence-based arguments and writing a research paper.

 Assessment Summary:

	Value	Length	Due Date
Midterm test	20%	1 hour	31 August, in class
Research paper	35%	2500 words	16 October, 10 pm via Canvas
Final Exam	45%	2 hours	During exam period

Weekly Topics:

Week	Lecture	Lectures	Discussion Hour
Week 1	Introduction	27 July	29 July
Week 2	Perspectives on environmental governance	3 August	5 August
Week 3	Māori environmental governance	10 August (GL: Dan Hikuroa)	12  August
Week 4	International regimes & Multilevel governance	17 August (GL: Matthew Blakie)	19 August  (midterm tips)
Week 5	Greening government	24 August	26 August
Week 6	Governing the Commons	31 August   (+midterm test)	2 September
Mid-Semester Break     7-18 September
Week 7	Growth and its discontents	21 September (GL: Rod Oram)	23 September
Week 8	Governing water, energy and food	28 September (GL: Andreas Neef)	30 September (Essay tips)
Week 9	Consumption and global commodity chains	5 October	7 October
Week 10	Non-state actors in environmental governance	12 October (GL: Andrea Larsson)	14 October
Week 11	Democratizing environmental governance	19 October	21 October
Week 12	Final exam summary	Labour Day Holiday (no lecture)	30 October

Resources:                             

Textbook

There is no assigned course textbook.

Canvas

Required readings are available in your Talis reading list link on the Canvas course page. Please ensure that your email address is current so that you receive course information and updates.

Recommended

You may find useful the following textbooks for an overview of environmental politics as a field of research.

Steinberg, P. and S. VanDeveer (2012). Comparative environmental politics: Theory, Practice and Prospects. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Dryzek& Schlosberg (2005). Debating the Earth. Oxford University Press.

Carter, N. (2007). The Politics of the Environment: Ideas, Activism, Policy, 2^ndedition. Cambridge University Press.

 Structure: 

The course material is delivered over a 12 week period. There will be a two-hour lecture each week with a 10 minute break between the lecture segments as well as a one hour discussion hour assigned to you in your schedule. Lectures are recorded and posted on Canvas within 24 hours. Powerpoints from the lecture will be posted on Canvas the previous Friday. 

Discussion hours: During these you will review topics in further detail, receive assessment guidance, and work on problems for the week. Ungraded group presentations will also occur in the discussion hours. All students are assigned to a reading group which corresponds with the 12 term weeks (e.g. group 1 is going to present in week 1, group 2 in week 2, and so on). Students are required to attend their discussion hours having completed the assigned readings for the week. A detailed breakdown of the weekly lectures and readings is contained in your reading list. You will be expected to discuss the material with your classmates and share your thoughts with the class.

 Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as serious illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without an approved extension will be penalized according to the following sliding scale: 

1. Assignments submitted up to two days late will lose 5% of the total assignment grade.
2. Assignments submitted three to five days late will lose 10 % of the total assignment grade
3. Assignments submitted six to ten days late will lose 25% of the total assignment grade
4. Assignments s submitted more than ten days past the due submission date will not be accepted and the student will be given a 0% mark for the essay.