Department
of Political Science
School
of Social Sciences
POLI
365: Environmental Politics
First
Semester, 2018/2019 Academic Year
Course
Syllabus for Legon and Accra City Campuses
3
Credits
Lecture period/venue: Fridays: 11:30
am-1:30 pm/JQB
Name of instructor: Nene-Lomo
Kuditchar.
Office location: Office number 14.
Department of Political Science, Legon.
Office hours: Mondays 12noon-2 pm; Thursdays 3-4 pm and by
appointment.
Name of Assistant: Miss. Tasnim
Awadallah.
Office location: General office, Department
of Political Science, Legon.
Tutorial Groups/Schedule:
Course Overview
Humanity is currently faced with a
challenge associated with the quest for “development”: how to balance material progress with a
sustainable management of disruptive pressures on the environment resulting
from economic activities. The quest for ‘economic development’, especially
after the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th
centuries, resulted in a permanent transformation of nature on a scale that has
brought certain species of flora and fauna to the point extinction. This has
also implied a degradation of the natural conditions supportive of human
existence. The unprecedented impact of humankind on the earth as a result of
the above has motivated scholars to designate the current epoch as the
“Anthropocene”. Since a major trait of this era is the global extinction
scenario faced by flora and fauna, there has been calls for/agitations and
policy initiatives aimed at radical changes in the principles governing the
pursuit of economic development. By and large, governments and societies are
under pressure to scale back the processes of extraction from nature in
pursuit of material progress. There is also intense political mobilization by
governments and non-governmental organizations to force changes to restore a
sustainable balance between human beings and nature. The varied options
associated with the search for ecological solutions notwithstanding, any
approach has to take into account political questions and interests. This is
important because political entities and actors as well as their calculations
can shape the outcomes/strategies meant to address ecological challenges. In
the end ‘politics’ will fix the extent to which the any solution framework
will be optimal. In the light of the forgoing, the set objectives of this
course are as stated below.
Course objectives
·
To
enumerate and examine the nature of the earth system
·
To enumerate
and examine the nature of the age of the age of Anthropocene
·
To
identify and explain political theories about the interaction between human
beings and the environment
·
To and
explain domestic and international regimes of environmental management
·
To identify
and assess the activities and impact of environmental activists/campaigns of
environmental social movements
Course Expectations:
Members who sign-up for the course
are expected to actively invest to make the program a resounding success. Participants
are expected to
Success in POLI 365 will very much
depend on timely and careful reading of recommended text. In line with this,
you will be expected to spend about 8-10 hours on reading assignments per
week.
An Active Learning Approach will be used in class to cover the
course material. This involves an interactive mode of learning, which
requires student interaction or participation in class discussion. In order
for this method to be effective, it is necessary to prepare and study the
texts before coming to class.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course each
participant shall be able to
·
State
and explain characteristics of the earth system
·
State
and explain the characteristics of the Anthropocene
·
State,
explain and apply political theories which attempt to sketch the
human-ecology interface
·
Examine
and assess international regimes geared toward sustainable ecological
management
·
Examine
and assess domestic policies/institutions geared toward sustainable
ecological management
·
Identify
and analyze environmental activists/campaigns of environmental social
movements
·
Evaluate
Frank Biermann’s Earth System Governance [ESG] paradigm
Assessment
and Grading
Three examinations will be
conducted for POLI 365: two interim assessments to be administered in the
first and second quarters of the semester respectively and a final exam. These
will be graded according to the scheme in the table below:
The final exam will consist of
essay questions based on assigned class readings.
Note: Any act of academic
dishonesty will automatically be sanctioned in line with stipulated
University of Ghana rules. See https://www.ug.edu.gh/content/regulations-governing-university-examinations.
Students with Special Needs
Any student with an officially recognized
social challenge should make fitting arrangements with the Office of Students
with Special Needs and inform me. The Office of Students with Special Needs [OSSN]
operates from two locations: one center of operation is located on the ground
floor of the University
of Ghana Computing Systems[UGCS] premises and the other
situated next to the Student Financial Aid Office. The outfit can be reached
on
·
Tel:
+233-24-457-5177
·
E-mail:
ossnug@gmail.com
Academic integrity
Plagiarism, the representation of
someone else’s work as your own, as well as cheating in all forms, must be
avoided. The highest forms of academic integrity must be maintained at all
times. Please read the University of Ghana plagiarism policy at http://www.ug.edu.gh/aqau/policies-guidelines.
Tutorials
Attending tutorials is mandatory.
I therefore encourage you to take advantage of the weekly sessions led by
assigned course assistants.
Disclaimer
I reserve the right to change any
readings, dates and requirements listed in this syllabus. If this occurs, every effort will be made
to announce the changes well in advance.
You are however responsible for the specific adjustments that you may
require in the light of the announced changes. .
Course
Schedule and Recommended Texts
Note: Texts in red must be read.
Click on the link below to assess all relevant literature.
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Week 1: Course Preview:
Environmental politics: Power, ecology, extraction and dislocation.
Reading
ü
Some key
words associated with environmental politics.
Week 2: The Earth System
Readings:
ü
Clark, W. C., Crutzen, P. J., & Schellnhuber, H. J. (2004).
Science for global sustainability. Earth system analysis for sustainability.
MIT, Cambridge, 1-28.
ü
Harris,
S. R. (2012). Pushing the Boundaries: The Earth System in the Anthropocene.
Bristol: Schumacher Institute for Sustainable Systems Report.
ü
Steffen,
W., & Lambin, E. (2006). Earth system functioning in the Anthropocene:
Human impacts on the global environment. na.
ü
Monastersky,
R. (2015). Anthropocene: The human age. Nature News, 519(7542), 144.
Week 3: The Anthropocene.
Readings:
ü Irwin, R. (2011).
Welcome to the Anthropocene. The UNESCO Courier, 64(4), 34-35.
ü
Welcome to the Anthropocene. The UNESCO Courier, 64(4), 34-35.
ü Hecht, Gabrielle (2018)
“The African Anthropocene” at https://aeon.co/essays/if-we-talk-about-hurting-our-planet-who-exactly-is-the-we
ü
Steffen,
W., Crutzen, P. J., & McNeill, J. R. (2007). The Anthropocene: are humans
now overwhelming the great forces of nature? AMBIO: A Journal of the Human
Environment, 36(8), 614-621.
ü
Lewis,
S. L., & Maslin, M. A. (2015). Defining the Anthropocene. Nature,
519(7542), 171.
ü
Monastersky,
Richard. "Climate crunch: a burden beyond bearing." Nature News
458, no. 7242 (2009): 1091-1094.
ü
Royle,
C. (2016). Marxism and the Anthropocene. International Socialism, 151, 63-84.
ü
Hoag,
C., & Svenning, J. C. (2017). African Environmental Change from the
Pleistocene to the Anthropocene. Annual Review of Environment and Resources,
42, 27-54.
Week 4: The Anthropocene and
Politics
·
Water
wars
·
Arms
race in the arctic
Readings:
ü Messer, E. (2010). Climate change and violent conflict: A
critical literature review. Oxfam America: Research Backgrounders.
ü Gleick, P. H., & Heberger, M. (2014). Water
and Conflict: Events, Trends, and Analysis (2011–2012). In The World’s water
(Volume 8): The Biennial report on freshwater resources (pp. 159-171).
Washington, DC: Island Press.
ü Jeffrey Mazo (2009) Chapter Three: Darfur: The
First Modern Climate-Change
ü Conflict, The Adelphi Papers, 49:409, 73-86
ü Tan, W. E., & Tsai, Y. T. (2010). After the ice
melts: Conflict resolution and the international scramble for natural
resources in the Arctic Circle. J. Pol. & L., 3, 91.
ü Virtanen, V. (2013). The Arctic in world politics. The
United States, Russia, and China in the Arctic—implications for Finland. Weatherhead
Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, 56.
ü Nopens, P. (2010). The impact of global warming on the
geopolitics of the Arctic. A historical opportunity for Russia? Egmont
Security Policy Brief No. 8, March 2010.
ü Hassan, H. A. (2010). Dimensions of the Darfur crisis and
its consequences: An Arab perspective. African Security Review, 19(1), 20-32.
ü Lasserre, F., Le Roy, J., & Garon, R. (2012). Is there
an arms race in the Arctic? Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, 14(3
& 4).
Week 5&6: Perspectives on Environmental
Political Theory
·
Feminism
·
Green
theory
·
Critical
realism
·
Constructivism
·
Marxism
·
Critical
Theory
·
The
Foucauldian approach.
Readings:
ü Meyer, J. M. (2006).
Political theory and the environment. In The oxford handbook of political
theory.
ü
Hayley Stevenson (2013) ‘Alternative theories of global
environmental politics: constructivism, Marxism and critical approaches’. In
Paul G. Harris (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Global Environmental Politics,
London: Routledge, pages 42-55.
ü
Chen, L. (2014). Ecological Criticism Based on Social Gender: The
Basic Principles of Ecofeminism. Education of Social Science, 7 (1), 67-72.
ü Siwila, L. C. (2014).
“Tracing the ecological footprints of our foremothers”: Towards an African
feminist approach to women's connectedness with nature. Studia Historiae
Ecclesiasticae, 40(2), 131-147.
ü Peter Dickens (2003)
Changing our environment, changing ourselves: critical
realism and transdisciplinary research, Interdisciplinary Science
Reviews, 28:2, 95-105
ü Ron Wagler (2009)
Foucault, the Consumer Culture and Environmental Degradation, Ethics Place
and Environment, 12:3, 331-336
ü
Ojomo,
P. A. (2011). Environmental ethics: an African understanding. African journal
of environmental science and technology, 5(8), 572-578.
ü
Carl
Death (2016) Green states in Africa: beyond the usual suspects, Environmental
Politics, 25:1, 116-135, DOI: 10.1080/09644016.2015.107438
ü
Ophuls,
W. (1977). Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity. WH Freeman.
ü
Barry,
J. (1994). Green Political Theory and the State. Contemporary Political
Studies.
ü
Ling, C.
H. E. N. (2014). Ecological criticism based on social gender: The basic
principles of ecofeminism. Higher Education of Social Science, 7(1), 67-72.
ü
Mukherjee,
R. (2013). Eco-feminism: Role of Women in Environmental Governance and
Management. Galgotias Journal of Legal Studies, 1(2), 1-7.
ü
Hobgood-Oster,
L. (2005). Ecofeminism–Historic and International Evolution. Encyclopedia of
Religion and Nature, Continuum, London & New York.
Week 7&8: The Anthropocene and Ecological Regimes
·
Climate
Change and Paris Agreement
·
Deforestation and Voluntary Partnership
Agreements
Readings:
ü
Santos, M. (2017). Global justice and environmental governance: an
analysis of the Paris Agreement. Revista Brasileira de Política
Internacional, 60(1).
ü
Dimitrov,
R. S. (2016). The Paris agreement on climate change: Behind closed doors.
Global Environmental Politics, 16(3), 1-11.
ü
Klein,
D., Carazo, M. P., Doelle, M., Bulmer, J., & Higham, A. (Eds.). (2017).
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: Analysis and Commentary. Oxford
University Press.
ü
Brack,
D., & Bailey, R. (2013). Ending global deforestation: Policy options for
consumer countries. London, UK: Chatham House.
ü
Luttrell,
C., & Fripp, E. (2015). Lessons from voluntary partnership agreements for
REDD+ benefit sharing (Vol. 134). CIFOR.
Week 9: The Anthropocene and
Ecological Regimes: African Initiatives in Perspective
Readings:
ü
Mburia,
R. (2015). Africa climate change policy: An
adaptation and development challenge in a dangerous world. Climate Emergency
Institute and Climate Action Solution Google Scholar.
ü
Golubski, C. (2017)
Even before the U.S. left the Paris Agreement, Africa stepped up to the plate
on climate change at https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2017/06/02/even-before-the-u-s-left-the-paris-agreement-africa-stepped-up-to-the-plate-on-climate-change/
ü
Lisinge-Fotabong, E., Diakhité, M, Ababio, K,
and N’Dongo, C.T. (2017) Climate Diplomacy in Africa at http://www.nepad.org/sites/default/files/documents/files/2016-NEPAD-Climate-Diplomacy-in-Africa-Policy-Brief_updated_v3.pdf
ü
van Wyk, Jo-Ansie (nd) “The African Union’s response to climate
change and climate security” at https://www.academia.edu/10454655/The_African_Union_s_response_to_climate_change_and_climate_security
ü
Sacande, M. and Berrahmouni, N. (2018) “Africa’s
Great Green Wall: A transformative model for rural communities’ sustainable
development” at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326082736_Africa%27s_Great_Green_Wall_A_transformative_model_for_rural_communities%27_sustainable_development
Week 10: African Environmental
Activists/Campaigns
Readings:
ü
Kushner, J. L. (2009). Wangari Maathai: Righteous leader of
environmental and social change.
ü
Maathai, W. (2011). Challenge for Africa. Sustainability Science,
6(1), 1-2.
ü
Michaelson, M. (1994). Wangari Maathai and Kenya's Green Belt
Movement: exploring the evolution and potentialities of consensus movement
mobilization. Social problems, 41(4), 540-561.
ü
Brittain, V. (2015). Ken Saro-Wiwa: A hero for our times. Race
& Class, 56(3), 5-17.
ü
Boele, Richard, Heike Fabig, and David Wheeler. "Shell,
Nigeria and the Ogoni. A study in unsustainable development: I. The story of
Shell, Nigeria and the Ogoni people–environment, economy, relationships:
conflict and prospects for resolution 1." Sustainable development 9, no.
2 (2001): 74-86.
ü
Senewo, I. D. (2015). The Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR): Extent of
actualization 25 years later? The Extractive Industries and Society, 2(4),
664-670.
ü
Obi, Cyril. "Nigeria’s Niger Delta: Understanding the complex
drivers of violent oil-related conflict." Africa Development 34, no. 2
(2009).
ü
Obi, C. I. (1997). Globalisation and local resistance: The case of
the Ogoni versus Shell. New Political Economy, 2(1), 137-148.
ü
“A decade of community-based mining advocacy in Ghana - WACAM's
story” at https://www.modernghana.com/news/190303/a-decade-of-community-based-mining-advocacy-in-ghana-waca.html
ü
Taylor, B. (2013). Kenya’s Green Belt Movement: Contributions,
Conflict, Contradictions, and Complications in a Prominent ENGO’. Civil
Society in the Age of Monitory Democracy, 180-207.
Week 11& 12: Rebalancing the
Earth system.
Readings:
ü Biermann, F. (2007). ‘Earth system governance’
as a crosscutting theme of global change research. Global environmental
change, 17(3-4), 326-337.
Week 13:
Recap and end of lectures.
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