98838 - Environmental Humanities (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

• By the end of the module, participants will know how to apply concepts and methods from the environmental humanities to the study of cultural heritage, broadly construed. They will have a critical stance on landscapes and societal practices in Italy that exemplify transformations rooted in human and more-than-human agency. They will be able to work individually and in groups to carry out interdisciplinary ruminations and knowledge-sharing activities regarding the human race’s capacity to alter the biosphere, especially following the Industrial Revolution in Europe. They will comprehend this epoch of unprecedented changes as an opportunity to bring about inclusive and solidarity-oriented ways of being.

Course contents

The course revolves around the environmental humanities in relation to contemporary Italy, in particular. There are five components: 

• Looking forwards and backwards to fathom the climate crisis
• The Anthropocene's narrative aspects
• An ecofeminist take on systemic reproduction
• Including more-than-human beings
• Ecological factors behind movement

Readings/Bibliography

Attendees

Our key texts are:

• Marco Armiero et al. (eds), Environmental Humanities: Scienze sociali, politica, ecologia (Rome: DeriveApprodi, 2021)
• Cristiano Giorda (ed.), Geografia e Antropocene: Uomo, ambiente, educazione (Rome: Carocci, 2019)

Additional brief readings relating to each part of the programme are signposted in the course of lectures. 

Non-Attendees

Three books ought to be studied:

1. Marco Armiero et al. (eds), Environmental Humanities: Scienze sociali, politica, ecologia (Rome: DeriveApprodi, 2021)
2. Cristiano Giorda (ed.), Geografia e Antropocene: Uomo, ambiente, educazione (Rome: Carocci, 2019)
3. Your choice between

• Carla Benedetti, La letteratura ci salverà dall'estinzione (Turin: Einaudi, 2021)
• Serenella Iovino, Paesaggio civile: Storie di ambiente, cultura e resistenza (Milan: Il Saggiatore, 2022)
  

Teaching methods

The course constitutes a collective undertaking that blends chalk-and-talk with flipping the classroom, including ample space for comments during lectures. The opening session is dedicated to comprehensive details of the programme, materials and assessment methods. Given the distinction between attendees and non-attendees, no lecture-capture is implemented. Whosoever wishes to be assessed as an attendee has to clear the 80% threshold.

Assessment methods

Exam sessions take place monthly, amounting to 6 in total. Outcomes are released via AlmaEsami with an allowance of 24 hours for non-acceptance.

You are being assessed on:

• Your depth of learning in key areas
• Your use of an appropriate nomenclature
• Your capacity to synthesize

A critical stance, terminological proficiency and lucidity are the cornerstones of top marks. Knowledge gaps, unsound statements or redundant details are grounds for failure.

Attendees are assessed in three parts: 

• A group presentation (10 minutes towards the end of the lecture programme)
• A critical dialogue with the course organiser (10 minutes)
• A learning diary (5 weekly entries of 200 words) - the deadline for submitting your document by email is 48 hours before the critical dialogue

Non-attendees have a twofold assessment:

• A critical dialogue with the course organiser (10 minutes)
• An essay on a cultural artefact, such as a literary text or a museum holding, in relation to the prescribed reading (2000 words) - your approach must be agreed with two weeks' notice and the deadline for submitting your document by email is 48 hours before the critical dialogue

Teaching tools

• Content-sharing platform
• Literary works
  
• PowerPoint slides
  
• Texts from social media
• Visual art

Office hours

See the website of Daniel Andrew Finch-Race