EDS330 Political Ecology

Political ecology originated in the 1970s, but its real expansion occurred in the 1980s and 90s. Today, political ecology is a leading source of innovative research on issues linked to poverty and the environment. The framework of the analysis in political ecology is centred on the idea of a politicised environment. It explores the main actors involved in this management and their interests, aims, norms and narratives. This again leads into an investigation of power and power relations in environmental management. Lectures and discussions will deal with topics such as the the theoretical roots and history of political ecology, discourse and narrative analysis, global environmental change, land reform, and community-based conservation and its critique.

The chief aim of this course is to strengthen the students´ interdisciplinary understanding by exposing the students to the different theoretical trends in the emerging field of political ecology and to empirical studies on resource and environmental management that are based on political ecological approaches. The course will investigate the links between local, national, and global levels of environmental management. It will further seek to develop students' capacity for critical thinking.