General provisions

The course is an introductory course in the Master's Programme in environmental history, but is open to students from other Master programmes or students with a BA degree. Throughout the course students will be able to select specific topics to specialise in, and will work individually or in groups on different time periods or themes.

Course instruction is in English.

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree in any of the areas of History and Philosophy of study, Social Sciences, Engineering/Science or the equivalence

Learning outcomes

Upon completing the course, students will be able

• to describe central ideas concerning nature and humans from a historical perspective,
• exemplify how perceptions of humans and nature affect society, cultural expression and community development,
• exemplify how perceptions of humans and nature influence the management of natural resources, environmental protection measures, technology and research,
• describe and critically analyse the main features of global conventions on the management of natural resources, on sustainable development, on the environment and on cultural heritage,
• analyse the critical importance of media, marketing and stakeholder groups in creating and shaping debates on environment issues, cultural heritage and community development.

Content

This course introduces students to the set of ideas and representations regarding nature and humans, and on how these have both influenced and interacted with society and the environment. The course uses case studies, compulsory course texts, seminars and excursions to examine the relationships between nature, culture and people from a historical and a global perspective. The course also addresses visual representations of the relationship between nature and culture, as well as the staging of representations of nature through museums and exhibitions.

The course specifically addresses:

• ideas of nature and humans from a historical perspective,
• how humans and nature have been historically defined and problematised within various museum and exhibition contexts,
• current regulations and conventions regarding natural resources, cultural heritage and the environment, and their social and historical contexts,
• the mediation of the relationships between nature, culture and humans,
• various interest groups' attitudes and perceptions on the relationships between nature and humans,
• dystopian narratives and representations, and the important role fantasy plays in our understanding of humans and nature.

Instruction

The course is interdisciplinary, and is intended to draw students from different disciplines and area studies. The course will consist of lectures, seminars and field excursions focusing on specific themes based on case studies and compulsory course texts. Active participation in seminars is expected.

The course is specifically aimed at students who plan to work with cultural heritage, environmental issues, conservation, land management and global conventions. It is also suitable for students with an interest in museums, exhibitions and fields such as media and marketing.

Assessment

Students are examined continuously by means of seminar participation and written assignments. 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).

This course can not be included in an exam with a course whose content fully or partially overlaps with the contents of this course.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.