FYS 197 AA Cultures and Climate
Fall 2016, LIB Rm B, T, Th: 10.00­11.30 pm
Professor Mona Bhan
Office 218, Asbury Hall, Ph 765­658­1025
Office hours: T, Th: 4.00 to 5.00 pm [email protected]
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Course Description
In December 2015, more than 150 countries adopted the first international agreement to limit the effects of anthropogenic climate change in a world climate summit held in Paris. Politicians and world leaders finally acknowledged what the scientific community had known all along: that climate change was indeed real and if urgent measures were not taken, the planet as we know it would cease to exist. Indeed, for many communities who have faced unprecedented climate crises, given up their homes and livelihoods because of a warming planet, rising sea­levels, denuded forests, and melting glaciers, the planet already looks very different. In this course, we will ask some provocative and timely questions about the future of our earth and humanity? What does anthropogenic climate change mean? How and when did it begin? What forces might have caused it and who is responsible? Who is and will be the most affected by drastic weather events such as floods, tornadoes, tsunamis, and hurricanes? How do gender, race, and nationality play a part in how communities experience and deal with climate­related vulnerabilities? We will use a range of analytic and writing genres, from cli­fi and graphic articles, films to ethnographic and historical writing about climate, to understand the ways in which anthropologists, activists, and scholars in the humanities and the social sciences understand the relationship between culture and climate; the relationship between food security and climate change; climate and health; and the ways in which racial, gendered, and class inequalities might play a role in environmental degradation.
Course Objectives
A first­year seminar serves as an introduction to college­level work. You will learn to read closely and critically, comprehend and identify the primary argument(s) in a text or film, and write effectively by developing skills for summarization, paraphrasing, and research. In addition to discussing significant issues related to climate change, we will also focus on developing skills for:
a. “deep reading” (i.e. reading for meaning rather than facts, asking questions of the text, arguing with the text, etc.); b. “listening and discussing to engage with diversity, complexity and ambiguity” (i.e. engaging with what others say to understand their perspectives, assumptions and arguments, rethinking your own perspectives, assumptions and arguments, and responding clearly, effectively and respectfully to move the conversation along); and
c. “writing to think” (i.e. writing to engage with problems, writing to bring something new to the readers, writing to put forth an argument and contribute to an ongoing conversation, etc.). (Adopted from Prof. Fancy’s FYS seminar, 2016).
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Course Requirements
1. Weekly readings and class participation:
Principal emphasis in the class will be on an elaborate and detailed discussion of the required readings/films. Students are thus strongly advised to come to class having done all the readings and prepared with questions or comments on specific readings. (See Appendix A for details).
2. Four Summaries:
Students are required to write summaries of 250 word each for the four films we will watch in class. We will discuss strategies to write strong summaries in class.
3. Short response paper (2­pages).
I will have you do a “free­writing” exercise in class for the first short paper. We will discuss how and why free writing can help you write and think better. You will be expected to write a more organized response paper based on some preliminary ideas generated during your free writing exercise. You will submit a draft of this paper before the final version. Both versions will be graded. 4. Long papers (4­pages each):
For each thesis paper you write, you will be expected to do a free­writing exercise and submit it along with your final paper. The first draft of the second paper will be peer­
reviewed and you will submit your “per­reviews” along with the final papers. 5. Presentations (Building the DePauw Dashboard)
This course also contains an “experiential” component which will help students track the ways in which everyday consumption patterns directly impact the climate crisis. The goal is to help students see, track, and understand the everyday effects/consequences of climate change. For this, I plan to build on and extend the available data on DePauw’s Environmental Dashboard. I will ask students to use their experiences with the environmental dashboard to develop group presentations for Greencastle’s high­school students. The intent is to empower students to understand the value of sharing their research with the wider community and also inculcate in them the spirit of community outreach, an essential component for building vibrant and ecologically­aware communities. 6. Disagreements and Alternative Viewpoints
If you do not understand an issue or disagree with me, feel free to share your point of view with the entire class. Please remember and learn to respect alternative viewpoints since this is a significant aspect of your intellectual growth. More importantly, I do not want you to replicate my arguments in your papers and/or exams. I will not penalize you for disagreeing with my viewpoints. However, what I want in your papers is a careful explication and analysis of your arguments. Laptop Use
If you write notes on your laptop, make sure that you are only writing your notes and not surfing the net. I trust you to follow this rule. If, however, I notice you using your laptops for responding to emails or writing in your face books, I will have to ask you to stop bringing your laptops to class. And, please turn off your cell phones for the duration of the class. Attendance and Punctuality
Attendance is an important component of your participation grade. I will mark your attendance everyday. Please notify me (in writing) at least two weeks in advance of your plans to observe any religious holiday. You are allotted one unexcused absence from class; after that, there will be a five­point deduction from your final numerical grade for each class absence. Bring me a doctor’s note in case you are sick and have to miss class. I expect students to come to class on time. Every ten­minute delay will cost you a point. I must receive your assignments on the due dates. If you submit your assignment a day after the deadline, I will deduct three points from your overall numerical grade. After this, each day will cost you five points. I will not accept your assignments a week after the due date. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
Academic honesty will be upheld in accordance with the DePauw policy on academic integrity, as discussed in the student handbook. I understand that at times you might have difficulties. If such a situation arises and you find yourself confused about how to consult and cite scholarly and non­scholarly resources, meet me after class or during my office hours. Don’t wait to see me after you submit the assignment! If you cannot make it to my office hours, feel free to let me know and we can pick another time slot. The overall grading system will be: Short Response Paper: 10% Paper # 1, Draft: 10% Paper # 1, Final: 15%
Four Summaries: 20%
Paper # 2, Draft: 10 % Paper # 2, Final: 15%
Class participation: 10%
Final Presentation: 10%
Class participation includes a brief research presentation, note­taking, and raising issues and questions in class on a regular basis. Grading Scale:
A 94%+ A­ 90­93%
B+ 87­89% B 84­86% B­ 80­83%
C+ 77­79% C 74­76% C­ 70­73%
D+ 67­69% D 64­66% D­ 60­63%
F 59%­ The following information will help you better understand the criteria for graded material:
A= exceptionally thought­provoking, original, creative in both content and manner of presentation, and a skillful use of concepts and/or materials which are fully supported. B= presents a solid understanding of the subject matter and an ability to handle the issues and materials encountered in the subject with only minor errors. C= demonstrates an adequate understanding of the subject matter with central ideas present, but too general, repetitious and not clearly supported or integrated with evidence and details. D= a minimally acceptable performance with a confusing central idea and lacking details. Parts of the assignment are missing and/or incomplete. F= shows lack of effort and minimal comprehension of material with major mechanical errors, no thesis, and misuse of key concepts. ________________________________________________________
Books Required for Class
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein, 2014. They say/ I say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. NY: W.W.Norton & Company.
Most of your readings will be available on Moodle. If there’s a URL for a particular reading, you can access them directly from the internet. Introduction to the course
8/25, R Reading and understanding the syllabus. What is expected of you? ________________________________________________________
A Different Earth?
8/30 T Pilkey, Orrin and K. Pilkey, pp. 1­15, 53­69 (Moodle)
(From Global Climate Change: A Primer)
They say/ I say, pp. , 1­14, 163­66
9/1 R Film: Thin Ice http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/516/
9/6, T The Darkening Sea
http://www.es.ucsc.edu/~jzachos/Data/Kolbert%20Oceans.pdf
9/8, R Barnosky, A, pp. 3­17, 33­47.
(From Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming) (Moodle)
9/13, T Free Writing Session (Not graded). In­class assignment One: Free Writing on “How the earth is different?” Review hand­outs on Writing Response papers. ________________________________________________________
The Anthropocene and the Climate Change Denialists. 9/15, R Steffan et al., The Great Acceleration. http://anr.sagepub.com/content/2/1/81.full.pdf
Pilkey, Orrin and K. Pilkey, pp. 42­52 (Moodle)
Review the following website: http://www.anthropocene.info/great­acceleration.php
9/20, T Film Anthropocene
Short response paper due by 4.00 pm: “How the earth is different?” ________________________________________________________
Climate Change and Anthropology: A Human Problem?
9/22, R Writing Session (Writing a Summary). Practice in Class. Review hand­outs on how to write summaries. Also read selections from They Say/I Say, pp. 30­42
9/27, T Crate, Susan and M. Nuttall, Intro, pp. 9­38. (Moodle)
9/29, R Roncoli etl al., Fielding Climate Change in Cultural Anthropology. http://cred.columbia.edu/files/2012/05/Roncoli­Crane­Orlove_2008_AnthroCC.pdf
Summary One due by 4.00 pm. 10/4, T Henshaw, A. Sea Ice: The Sociocultural dimensions of a melting environment in the Arctic. (Moodle)
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Consumption, Capitalism, and Carbon Trading
10/6, R Introduce Oberlin Dashboard Project. Introductory readings on Carbon and Climate change (Start thinking about your team projects and how you might contribute to the DePauw Dashboard) More information to follow as I co­ordinate with folks on campus
http://loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=13­P13­00026&segmentID=3
On Learning to Write a Thesis Paper (Reading TBA)
10/11, T Klein, Naomi. This Changes Everything, 64­95 (Moodle)
10/13, R Klein, Naomi This Changes Everything, 161­190 (Moodle)
Thesis Paper Due (First Draft)
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Fall Break, Oct 15th to 23rd. _________________________________________________________________
10/25, T Film The Burning Season
http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp­content/uploads/2014/02/wp52_climate­
change­carbon­markets­history.pdf
10/27, R Calel, R. Climate Change and Climate Markets: A Panoramic History. (Moodle)
Summary Two due
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Race, Class, Climate: The Climate Gap?
11/1, T http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/03/11/study­climate­change­attitudes­race
https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/242/docs/The_Climate_Gap_Full_Report_FINAL.pdf
11/3, R Hughes, N.S. The Disaster and its Doubles (Moodle)
Thesis Paper due: 2nd and final draft
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Climate Refugees
11/8, T Myers, Norman. Environmental Refugees: A Growing Phenomenon of the 21st century (Moodle)
11/10,R Film: Climate Refugees.
11/15, T Masquelier, A. Why Katrina’s Victims aren’t Refugees: Musings on a “Dirty” word. (Moodle)
Also read:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen­bechtel/how­we­talk­about­
climate_b_4958311.html
https://www.theguardian.com/vital­signs/2014/sep/18/refugee­camps­climate­change­
victims­migration­pacific­islands
Summary Three Due 11/17, R Conference AAAs. Thesis Paper 2 Draft due/Peer Reviews
11/22, T Methmann, C. Visualizing Climate Refugees: Race, Vulnerability, and Resilience in Global Liberal Politics. (Moodle)
Please schedule one­on­one meetings with me.
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Thanksgiving Recess, 23rd to 27th November.
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Localizing Climate Change: Mid­West and Ethanol
11/29, T http://www.in.gov/idem/files/factsheet_ethanol.pdf
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/16/ethanol­ruling­would­have­big­
indiana­impact/75708086/
12/1, R Preparing and Writing your Presentations
Thesis Paper 2 Final Due
12/6, T Presentations
12/8, R Presentations
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Appendix A:
What does it mean to participate in class?
An important component of this class is discussion. There are different kinds of contributions you can make to discussion, all of which you are expected to work on over the course of the semester. None of these are possible without coming to class each session having read the assigned readings: 1. Attentively listening to your colleagues, in order to build on what has already been said; 2. Asking colleagues to clarify unclear contributions;
3. Summarizing key ideas that have emerged during the discussion;
4. Articulating an answer to a posed question; 5. Raising questions that help advance discussion;
6. Offering an original idea related to the topic of discussion;
7. Drawing on evidence (social scientific data, personal experience, popular culture) to either support or challenge ideas;
8. Constructively critiquing an idea offered in the readings or by a class member (including me); 9. Pointing out how various comments complement each other or are at odds;
10. Playing “devil’s advocate.” (Adapted from Prof. Bordt’s FYS).