General provisions

The course is compulsory for students in the Master's Programme in Global Environmental History, but is also open to other students at the advanced level.

Entry requirements

Students with Bachelor's degree of 180 credits in any of the areas of History and Philosophy of study, Social Sciences, Engineering/Science or the equivalent

Learning outcomes

A student who successfully completed the course will be able to:

• account for general knowledge of influential debates in environmental history on socio-economic and political conflicts arising from human–nature interaction in the modern era.

• describe and assess general historical trajectories of human–nature relations from the perspective of colonialism, industrialisation, and the development of modern states.

• critically account for and assess an ongoing environmental conflict through excursion and written report.

Content

This course introduces the students to global environmental history from the perspective of the dynamic and historically transformative relationship between nature and social forces. While discussing long-term historical processes of landscape change, the course has as a main focus the modern period to the present (ca. 1700 – today). The course works through three themes of the study of human–nature relations: ‘Nature as a resource and nature under stress’; ‘Governing Nature: Political and technical solutions to societal transformation and social conflict’; ‘Nature conservation, policy and politics of nature’. The course has an interdisciplinary perspective, specifically representing research in history, economic history, agrarian and urban studies, and environmental policy.

Instruction

The course will consist of a number combined lectures and seminars focusing on specific themes and questions, mandatory literature, active participation in seminars with assignments, and an excursion with written and oral reports.

Assessment

Assessment includes fulfiling seminar assignments and the writing and examination of a final essay. Grades will be given in accordance with the Swedish grading system. The following grades will be used: Pass with distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U).