Overview
An advanced critical examination of the concept of environment (nature) from a cross-cultural perspective, with focus on sustainability, environmental justice, and conservation.
Environmental challenges, from natural disasters to intensive farming, from genetic engineering to pollution, know no national boundaries. They call for global action. However, different cultures diverge, and even radically disagree, when it comes to respond to the environmental predicament of our age. The processes by which societies interpret, relate to and act in the environment are cultural transactions subject to political, social and economic contingencies. These require that careful attention be given to diverse kinds and forms of knowledge and cultural communities.
The paper complements majors and minors in Languages and Cultures, Philosophy, the Arts, Environmental Science, Law, Religion, Film and Media, History, Māori and Pacifica Studies, Gender and Social work, Geography, Food Science, Science Communication, Politics, Tourism, Commerce and other areas.
About this paper
| Paper title | Cultures of the Environment (Advanced) |
|---|---|
| Subject | Global Studies |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,040.70 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 72 points
- Restriction
- GLBL 201
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
- Suitable for students of all disciplines who seek to develop the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations, be it at home or in international settings.
- Contact
- languages@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
Professor Paola Voci and Dr Moira Fortin Cornejo.
- Paper Structure
Drawing on the analytical tools developed in the humanities, the paper provides the students with the interdisciplinary skills required to tackle the complexity of environmental crises. Students will critically interrogate diverse perspectives on contemporary environmental concerns by:
1. Meeting with various stakeholders in the community
2. Developing research projects of relevance to both the students and the community
3. Team-work
4. Undertaking different kinds of reading and writing exercises (including but not limited to the sharing of blogs, journals, and self-reflection)- Teaching Arrangements
The paper is delivered through one lecture per week and a weekly workshop or tutorial. The course will also involve field-work, round-table discussions with the class and other participants, and a limited number of guest visits.
- Textbooks
All reading material for this course is provided to students as e-readings via Blackboard.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
- Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts and principles of communication between people from different social and cultural backgrounds
- Generate insights into social, cultural and historical dimensions of cultural and subcultural groups around the world
- Reflect critically upon the influence of your own culture on how you view yourself and others
- Compare communication behaviour, verbal and non-verbal, of different cultural groups and interpret the behaviour through culture
- Apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgement, adaptability, and responsibility as an effective and ethical communicator across multiple cultural contexts
- Demonstrate an ability to acquire, organise, analyse and evaluate and present information