Environmental Transformations

DEVS 250/3.0

Tree with half green leaves, clear sky and green grass on one side, the other side is rotten branches, dead grass and red sky

Overview

Examines the relationship between development and environmental change by introducing social science perspectives on themes including energy, agriculture, climate, urbanization, and water. With a focus on combining macro- and micro-analysis, the course reflects on the meaning of development in an era of global environmental transformation.

Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to

  1. Identify areas of tension between key development goals and environmental challenges in the 21st century.
  2. Address sustainability challenges in the fields of energy, climate, forests, water, agriculture, air pollution, biodiversity and urbanization.
  3. Apply different social science perspectives to explain the causes and outcomes of environmental change across a diverse range of case studies.
  4. Analyze why using different perspectives creates diverging explanations of environmental change that lead towards different political solutions.  
  5. Engage with different types of texts: academic papers, scientific reports, government documents and journalistic articles

Terms

Summer (May–July) 2024
Course Dates
–
Exam Dates (if applicable)
–
Delivery Mode
Online

Evaluation

10% - Workshop 1 
25% - Assignment 1
10% - Workshop 2
25% - Assignment 2
30% - Assignment 3 - Policy Brief

*Evaluation Subject to Change*

Textbook and Materials

All required and recommended materials will be available through onQ.

Time Commitment

Students can expect to spend approximately 10 hours a week (120 hours per term) in this course.