24569 - Environmental Politics and Policy

Learning outcomes

The environment is a typical example of public good.  Whereas contemporary society, at least in industrialized nations,  has developed a previously unknown capability to deliver 'private/individual' goods to its members, consumption and production of these same goods causes negative impacts on public/collective goods such as the environment, that are being depleted at an unsustainable pace. There is by now widespread concern about the environmental situation at all levels (global, national, local); yet environmental policy, notwithstanding its considerable development over the last half century, appears still to be largely inadequate in tackling the challenge and ensuring  environmental resources of adequate quality and quantity for this and future generations. In order to protect such resources a greater understanding of policy and political processes through which the issue is -or is not- dealt with is relevant and represents the specific contribution of political/social science students can give to the solution of environemental problems.  Special attention goes to appreciating the difficulty of generating widespread consensus on the protection of the environment, which requires deep changes in our way of producing and consuming; and change in this case typically implies conflict.

The first part of the course offers the students a framework for analyzing and understanding environmental policy, that presents specific features in respect to other more 'traditional' sectoral policies; such features have relevant implications for the policy processes (decision-making, implementation), and their impacts and outcomes (successes and failures), at  different levels of government (international, national, regional, local).

The second part of the course focusses on environmental conflict and on innovative (negotiation and deliebration)  approaches for managing conflict pro-actively in a quest for informed consensus.

Students who follow the course are requested to read daily a newspaper of their choice and to bring relevant news to the class and discuss it. This activity will represent a part of the final evaluation of the student.

Course contents

The first part of the course introduces students to environmental policy and its specific features and their implications. The framework that will be used to increase comprehension of policy processes in this field refers to the policy actors; the features and  roles of administrations, media, experts, environmental movement, interest groups, of the EU as well as of international organizations will be discussed.

The second part focusses on environmental conflicts and on innovative approaches being proposed and used in many countries over the last years to tackle such conflicts through either negotiation (e.g. the Mutual Gains Approach) or dialogue/deliberation aimed at generating informed consensus among stakeholders and citizens.

Readings/Bibliography

- Lewanski, R., Governare l'ambiente, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1997 (259 pp).

- Ambiente Italia, Ambiente Italia 2007. La gestione dei conflitti ambientali (only pp. 1-195).

- Fishkin, J., La nostra voce, Marsilio, Venezia, 2003 (pp. 196).

- Pellizzoni, L., La deliberazione pubblica, Meltemi, 2005 (Introduzione pp. 7-48).

- Ravazzi, S., Civicrazia. Quando i cittadini decidono, Aracne, Roma, 2007, only pp.1-52.

All textbooks are available in the Department's library.

Foreign students may ask the teacher to substitute some of the above books with equivalent books in English if they have difficulties in reading Italian; however students MUST make this request within the second week of the course.

Teaching methods

Effective learning requires interaction and discussion; foreign students generally have direct experience of this approach in their home Universities, but seem to 'forget' this during their stay in  Italy, perhaps because Italian students tend to have a more passive and 'free-riding' attitude. The teacher is willing and open to an interactive mode, though he cannot force it upon students. The suggestion is that students read the specific sections of the textbooks that will be discussed in the subsequent lesson BEFORE it takes place so that they can verify their understanding and clarify points they have not understood during classes.

Only for students who come to classes: in the second part of the course -if appropriate conditions exist- students will be requested to read materials indicated weekly by the teacher,  and to present and discuss these materials. This activity will substitute the final exam as far as the second part of the course is concerned.

 

If there will be appropriate conditions, a role-playing game on enegotiation of environmental conflicts will be proposed.

Assessment methods

Students' knowledge and capability of using concepts discuissed during the course will be verified in an oral examination.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations will be used in class (and made avalilable to students through the Faculty's PAIS website). Please note that these slides do NOT in any way substitute textbooks and are not sufficient to pass the exam.

Office hours

See the website of Rodolfo Lewanski