C8465 - CRITICAL THEORIES OF THE ANTHROPOCENE

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the students: - know the main controversies conveyed by the framework of political ecology - master sociological theories regarding the role of work in modern societies (including its manifold transformations) - master sociological assessments of ecological crises, at the local as well as at the global scale - know the key-elements of debates about Just Transition and, more generally, about trade unions’ perspectives on the climate crisis - know the crucial aspects of social sciences’ contributions for a rethinking of the very notion of work, in the light of socio-environmental degradation – especially industry-driven – and, more generally, of a worldwide care crisis.

Course contents

The course aims at critically interrogating the notion The Anthropocene, namely the idea that human actions are nowadays comparable to a geological force (deeply impacting Earth System's functions and composition).

The framework employed will be political ecology, namely the hypothesis that the relationship between society and nature is not be taken for granted, as “immediately” posed in a pacified and frictionless form, but should rather be analyzed through a specific methodological filter, provided by the concept of mode of production.

From this perspective, we will proceed to the sociological analysis of the notion of labor. In particular, we will focus on the transformation of trade unions' platforms by means of an unprecedented interest in ecological dynamics - and especially climate change. Our approach, here, is derived from the burgeoning field of Environmental Labor Studies.

The second part of the course will be devoted to two key elements of critical social sciences in the Anthropocene: UN-based global warming governance (i.e. the COP System - particular attention will be devoted to the 30th Conference of Parties, in Antalya, Turkey, in November 2026); and climate justice (both ideal and movement were born in constitutive tension with the United Nations Franework Convention on Climate Change).

Lastly, we will explore the concept of Just Transition, that is, a trade unions' theory and practice whose core is the idea that the social costs of transforming productive structures in sustainable ways should not be borne exclusively by the working class.

The final lectures will review, at the international level, the disputes in which Just Transition is mobilized, and will focus on discussing their internal, constitutive variety.

Readings/Bibliography

The course is structured around the following volume:

Pellizzoni, Luigi; Leonardi, Emanuele & Asara, Viviana (Eds.), Handbook of Critical Environmental Politics, Edward Elgar, 2022.

Other texts will be discussed, amongst which:

Barca, Stefania, Workers of the Earth: Labour, Ecology and Reproduction in the Age of Climate Change, Pluto Press, 2024.

Benegiamo, Maura, Land Capital and Extractive Frontiers: Social Conflict and Ecological Crisis in the Senegal River Delta, Bristol University Press, 2025.

Fraser, Nancy, Cannibal Capitalism: How How Our System Is Devouring Democracy, Care, and the Planet -- And What We Can Do About It, Verso Books, 2022.

Leonardi, Emanuele, Labour Nature Value: André Gorz between Marxism and Degrowth, Verso Books, 2026.

Teaching methods

The course integrates different teaching methods: frontal lessons; interactive lessons; watching, commenting and discussing films and documentaries; presentations and debates starting from the analysis of particular forms of mobilization. The course also includes the participation of scholars and experts in the field.

Assessment methods

. Attending students:

the evaluation is divided into two parts:

1) classroom presentations (individual or collective, TBD) about a book or series of articles (TBD with the lecturer by the end of November 2026) to be held during the two concluding classes (December 14 and 16, 2026).

2) oral discussion, in-person, around the the following chapters of the handbook (to be articulated with materials analyzed in the classroom):

Introduction + 3; 5; 7; 13; 30; 35; 37.

. NON-attending students:

the evaluation consists of an oral discussion, in-person, which aims at demonstrating knowledge of the contents, as well as the ability to critically articulate them, with respect to the following chapters of the handbook:

Introduction + 3; 4; 5; 7; 13; 27; 29; 30; 35; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41.

Grades will be expressed in thirtieths. The grade will be announced at the end of the oral discussion.

In exceptional cases, the in-person discussion can be substituted by an original essay, to be discussed in details with the lecturer.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used as a supplementary tool to support independent learning, including for the exploration of course topics, the preparation of summaries, and self-assessment activities.

The use of AI in the completion of assessed coursework, including the presentation and written examination, is strictly prohibited. Any such use constitutes a violation of the University's principles of academic integrity.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the University's Office for Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders at the earliest opportunity (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it). The Office may recommend appropriate accommodations. Any proposed accommodation must be submitted to the course instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will determine whether the requested accommodation is appropriate, taking into account the intended learning outcomes of the course.

Teaching tools

Documentaries and video clips, plus weekly distribution of preparatory materials though the Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Emanuele Leonardi