ENVS 631 Environmental Studies Theory and Practice
Fall 2011, CRN 12758
Alan Dickman
[email protected]
541 346 2549
Office hours: Wednesdays 1 to 2 PM (rm 302 Pacific); and other times by appointment
Class Meeting Times: MW 4 to 5:20 or 6 PM, rm 142 Columbia
Course Goals
• Engage in thoughtful dialogue concerning ideas of nature and our interactions
with and responsibilities for our environment
• Familiarize ourselves with the Eugene environment and use it as a concrete
example for some more general discussions of human environment interactions
• Foster development of intellectual and social community within ENVS
• Gain a sense of what ENVS encompasses at Oregon
• Become acquainted with a few ENVS faculty at Oregon
• Identify one or more areas of potential research within ENVS suitable for each
person’s thesis or project
• Provide continuing advising about the ENVS program and requirements
• Deepen our understanding of the different disciplinary perspectives that
contribute to environmental studies including their research methods,
vocabularies, core concepts, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses
Methods and Activities
Class Participation and Attendance. I expect everyone to participate actively in this
class, which includes attending all class sessions, reading all assigned material prior to
class, arriving to class on time, and engaging productively in class discussion. Missing
three classes will result in a full grade reduction. An additional full grade reduction will
be made for each additional missed class after the third. Three late arrivals for class will
count as one absence. Although no relevant remark is out of bounds in this class, I ask
that we all treat each member of the class respectfully and professionally. I will use the
quality and quantity of your participation in class discussions in assigning 15% of your
final course grade. In addition to any penalties that you receive for failure to attend class,
absences from class will also negatively affect your participation grade.
Reading Reflections: For three class periods with assigned readings for discussion,
you will turn in a reading reflection (ca. 1000 words). These should briefly state central
points that you have distilled from the reading and offer your reflective response,
interpretive insights, consideration of implications, possible objections, further
development of the ideas, unresolved questions, etc. Please submit these electronically
by 1PM on the day they are due. Electronic submissions should use this format:
Yourlastname.Assignment.date.doc (or .docx). For example, my first reading reflection
paper would be titled: Dickman.RRP.10.5.11.doc. Each assignment will account for
10% of your grade.
Discussion Questions: For some class periods with assigned readings for discussion
but for which no essay is required, you will be asked to come up with three questions
regarding the reading that you propose as discussion prompts for class use. These
should be emailed to Alan no later than 1 PM on the day of class. Combined, these
questions will account for 10% of your grade and will be judged on the degree to which
they get at important issues, make connections to other readings or events, and foment
active discussion among the class.
Student Selected Readings: For part of the term, we will read and discuss articles or
book excerpts chosen by students. These will provide a means for the rest of the class
to better understand an issue or topic that each of you is interested in exploring further.
Though not required, the reading you choose may be related to the work you will be
doing to prepare your research presentation and seminar paper (see below.) We will
discuss and decide on format of these sessions as a group (suggested length of
readings, done individually or in pairs, etc.) Ten percent of your grade will be attributed
to the quality of the work done in preparation for leading the class discussion for the
reading you have selected.
Research Presentations: During the last week of the term, each student will give a 10
to 15 minute presentation on a research topic. For masters students, presentations will
concern potential thesis or terminal project topics. Doctoral students will give a
presentation akin to one suitable for a professional conference in their respective focal
disciplines (though not necessarily as well developed.) As time allows, each
presentation will be followed by 5 minutes of audience Q&A. Your presentation will be
graded on content, delivery, response to questions, and professionalism, and will be
worth 15% of your final grade.
Seminar Paper: Your final seminar paper, 10-12 pages with standard font and margins,
should concern a topic relevant to your current or proposed research. For masters
students, this paper should be an exploratory investigation of a potential thesis or
terminal project topic. For doctoral students, this paper should serve as a draft of work
suitable for potential submission to a professional conference or journal. Use a
reference/citation system that is standard for your disciplinary area. Papers are due by
midnight on December 5 (the date of the final exam) and are worth 20% of your final
course grade.
Proposed Grading Scheme
Course requirements and grading criteria are subject to revision based on class input.
Class activity
Participation and Attendance
Reading Reflections
Discussion Questions
Selected Readings and Discussion
Research Presentations
Seminar Paper
Percent of grade
15%
30%
10%
10%
15%
20%
Schedule of Activities The following schedule is my best current guess about what
we’ll do when, but is likely to change. date
1M 9/26
1W 9/28
Activity
Introductions
Discussion of Leopold’s Land Ethic
2M 10/3
Salmon lecture and discussion
2W 10/5
Discuss essays
3M 10/10
Field Trip to Confluence Area
Meet with Jason Blazar
Fireside Chat at the Law School
Kari Norgaard 5PM
Moore: The Pine Island Paradox excerpt
Work on upcoming readings
Norgaard Living in Denial excerpt
Lertzman Norgaard interview
Faculty visit: perspectives on
interdisciplinary research
Ted Toadvine, Brendan
Bohannan, Kari Norgaard
Discussion of Cronon, White essays.
Matt Dennis and Marsha Weisiger
Toadvine: Six Myths
ENVS Self Study & Conversations;
Maniates and Whissel: The sky is not falling
Cronon: Only Connect
DQ2
Cronon: The trouble with Wilderness…
White: Are you an environmentalist or …
RRP2
(individual conferences)
Quammen; Carolan, Davis; Haig Brown
3W 10/12
4M 10/17
4W 10/19
TBD
5M 10/24
5W 10/26
Midterm check ins
Student selected readings: Andrew,
Keats, Lucas. Class may go to 6PM
Class Discussion
Readings for Discussion, assignments
Leopold: A Sand County Almanac
Lichatowich: Salmon without rivers excerpt
DQ1
Booker: Confluence: Ecology and Culture
RRP1
Nabhan Cross Pollinations
DQ3
6M 10/31
6W 11/2
Readings from Cris, Kaitlyn, Shane.
Environmental Ethics
Visit with Nicolae Morar
Abrams; Maathai, Clark
Moore and Nelson: Moral Ground excerpts
RRP3
7M 11/7
Friday 11/11
Readings from Marissa, Alayna,
Kirsten.
Alumni visit 142 Col.
Class may go to 6 PM.
Screening of Aldo Leopold film
Mazar, Myers; Beatley, Robinson, Wilson;
Adams, Rudel
No reading assignment for today, start
reading Halvorson for 11/21
7:30 PM rm 150 Columbia
8M 11/14
Tues. 11/15
8W 11/16
Readings from Lisa, Chithira
Paul Gilding Attend if you can!
Visit with Paul Gilding 142 Col.
Manning, Meloy
7:30 PM, 182 Lillis
Read Australian BC interview transcript
9M 11/21
Discuss Halvorson
Halvorson: An Entirely Synthetic Fish.
Focus on chapters 8-12
DQ4
9W 11/23
Thanksgiving tomorrow – no class
work on papers/presentations
10M 11/28
Research presentations
Class goes until 6PM
Research presentations
Class goes until 6PM
7W 11/9
10W 11/30
M 12/5 – final exam date. Research papers due by midnight.
Cumulative Reading List
(will be updated to include student selected readings as term goes on)
Abram, David. “Reciprocity”. Rethinking Nature: Essays in Environmental Philosophy.
Ed. Bruce V. Foltz and Robert Frodeman. Indiana University Press, 2004. 77-92.
Adams, Robert. 1981. Beauty in Photography. Aperture, Inc. 108 pages. TR642.A27
Australian Broadcasting Corporation. June 17, 2011. Transcript of Interview with Ali
Moore, Paul Gilding, Thomas Friedman.
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3247216.htm
Beatley, Timothy. "Biophilic Cities: What Are They?" Biophilic Cities: Integrating
Nature into Urban Design and Planning. Washington, D. C.: Island Press, 2011. 45-81.
Print.
Booker, Matthew. 1997. Confluence: Ecology and Culture at the Forks of the
Willamette River. M.S. Thesis, Environmental Studies Program, University of Oregon.
Eugene, Oregon. 128 pages.
Campbell River 2004 Spawning Gravel Purchase and Placement:
http://www.bchydro.com/bcrp/projects/docs/vancouver_island/04CA07.pdf
Clark, Timothy. 2010. The Cambridge Introduction to Literature and the
Environment. Cambridge University Press. We read chapters 7 (Thinking Like a
Mountain) and 16 (Evolutionary Theories of Literature)
Carolan, M. S. (2006). Science, Expertise, and the Democratization of the DecisionMaking Process. Society & Natural Resources, 19(7), 661-668.
doi:10.1080/08941920600742443
Cronon, William. 1996. The trouble with wilderness; or, getting back to the wrong
nature. P. 69- 90, In, W. Cronon ed., Uncommon Ground : Rethinking the Human Place
in Nature. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. GE195 .U53 1996
Cronon. William. 1998. “Only Connect…” The goals of a liberal education. From
American Scholar, volume 67, issue no. 4.
Davis, M. a, Chew, M. K., Hobbs, R. J., Lugo, A. E., Ewel, J. J., Vermeij, G. J., Brown, J.
H., et al. (2011). Don’t judge species on their origins. Nature, 474(7350), 153-4.
doi:10.1038/474153a
Greater Georgia Basin Steelhead Recovery Plan:
http://bccf.com/steelhead/focus4.htm
Haig-Brown, Roderick. 1996. To Know a River. in To Know a River (from A River
Never Sleeps, 1946), edited by Valerie Haig-Brown. Lyons Press. 372 pages.
Halvorson, Anders. 2010. An Entirely Synthetic Fish. Yale University Press. 257
pages. QL638.S2H187 2010
Leopold, Aldo. 1949. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press. New York.
228 pages. QH81.L56 1987
Lertzman, Renee. 2011. A dialog between Renee Lertzman and Kari Norgaard
Ecopsychology 3(1):5-9
Lichatowich, James. 1999. Salmon Without Rivers. Island Press, SH348.L53 1999
Maathai, Wangari. "The Farmer of Yaounde." The Challenge for Africa. New York:
Pantheon, 2009. 10-24. Print.
Manning, Richard. "The Oil We Eat." Harper's 308.1845 (2004): 37-45.
Mazar, N., & Zhong C. (2010). Do green products make us better people?
Psychological Science, 21(4), 494-498.
Maniates, Michael F., and John C. Whissel. 2000. Environmental Studies: The sky is
not falling. BioScience 50(6): 509-517
Meloy, E. (2002). The Deeds and Sufferings of Light in The Anthropology of
Turquoise: Meditations on Landscape, Art & Spirit. New York: Vintage Books. pp 3 - 17.
Meloy, E. (2002). AhaMakav Walkabout in The Anthropology of Turquoise: Meditations
on Landscape, Art & Spirit. New York: Vintage Books. pp 76 - 101.
Meloy, E. (2002). Brides of Place in The Anthropology of Turquoise: Meditations on
Landscape, Art & Spirit. New York: Vintage Books. pp 307 - 314.
Moore, Kathleen Dean. 2004. The Pine Island Paradox. Milkweed Editions. 251
pages. GF47.M57 2004
Moore, Kathleen Dean and Michael P. Nelson, editors. 2010. Moral Ground. Ethical
Action for a Planet in Peril. Trinity University Press. 478 pages. GE.42.M65 2010
Myers, T. (2011). Eco-fads: How the rise of trendy environmentalism is harming
the environment. Seattle, WA: Washington Policy Center.
Nabhan, Gary Paul. 2004. Cross-Pollinations; The Marriage of Science and Poetry.
Milkweed Editions. Minneapolis, MN. 107 pages. PN55.N33.2004
Norgaard, Kari M. 2011. Living in Denial book excerpt accessed September 2011 on
http://sociology.uoregon.edu/faculty/living%20in%20denial/excerpt.php
Quammen, David. "Planet of Weeds." Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and
Nature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008.
Robinson, John B., Caroline Van Bers and David Biggs. "The Sustainable City Project"
excerpt. Life in 2030: Exploring a Sustainable Future for Canada. Vancouver: UBC
Press, 1996. 13-15. Print.
Rudel, Thomas K. 2011. Images, Ideology, and Praxis in the Environmental
Movement: Sebastiao Salgado’s Genesis Project. Sociological Forum. Vol. 26, No. 2,
June 2011.
Toadvine, Ted. 2011 unpublished essay. Six myths of Interdisciplinarity
White, Richard. 1996. Are You an Environmentalist or Do You Work for a Living?
Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature. New York: W.W. Norton &
co-edited by William Cronon. GE195.U53 1996
Wilson, Edward O. "Prologue." Biophilia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.
1-2. Print.