What insights can a novel or a poem offer about climate change? What can the long histories of colonialism teach us about current carbon-neutral industries? In this undergraduate seminar, you will learn why we cannot focus on their material dimension alone when we study environmental crises. Environments are also made in and through symbolic representation and social practices. The course introduces the Environmental Humanities, a growing interdisciplinary field that challenges conventions of key terms such as nature, culture, matter, representation, consumption, environment, agency, future, and resilience. We explore these fundamental concepts to support students as participants in the momentous discussion about profound environmental transformations of planetary life.
4 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit · GER: WAY-A-II, WAY-EDP
What insights can a novel or a poem offer about climate change? What can the long histories of colonialism teach us about current carbon-neutral industries? In this undergraduate seminar, you will learn why we cannot focus on their material dimension alone when we study environmental crises. Environments are also made in and through symbolic representation and social practices. The course introduces the Environmental Humanities, a growing interdisciplinary field that challenges conventions of key terms such as nature, culture, matter, representation, consumption, environment, agency, future, and resilience. We explore these fundamental concepts to support students as participants in the momentous discussion about profound environmental transformations of planetary life.
Offered in Autumn 2025 at Stanford University.