Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree with the main field of study within social sciences, humanities or religious studies or 120 credits including 90 credits within some religious studies main field of study

Learning outcomes

The goal of the course is for the student to acquire in-depth knowledge of how anthropogenic climate change challenges our concepts of justice, human rights, and the responsibilities we have towards future generations, as well as traditional models of political governance, particularly at the global level. Various theories of justice and human rights, and how they address the challenges posed by climate change, will be discussed, and these theories will be applied to questions of how climate change can and should be managed at the global level, with a special focus on climate-induced migration and climate change as a security issue.

After completing the course, the student is expected to be able to:

• with a high degree of independence, identify and formulate problems related to the relationships between climate change, justice, human rights, moral and political responsibility, and global political governance,
• with a high degree of independence, critically analyze theories related to the relationship between climate change, justice, human rights, moral and political responsibility, and global political governance,
• critically examine the work carried out within the framework of global political governance institutions by intergovernmental, governmental, and non-governmental actors to address climate change,
• present analyses of the implications of climate change for theories of justice, human rights, and global political governance to both academic and non-academic audiences, in both oral and written form,
• critically reflect on specific cases where climate change challenges our traditional perceptions of justice, human rights, moral and political responsibility, and global political governance.

Content

The course raises several fundamental questions about the relationships between climate change, justice, human rights, moral and political responsibility, and global governance. Can traditional theories of justice and human rights address the challenges posed by climate change? Who is responsible for managing climate change and its effects - states, corporations, and/or individuals? What responsibilities do we, living today, have towards future generations? How effective are today's global institutions in addressing climate change and its effects? What reform proposals for global governance institutions can be found in current research? In the course, we will also discuss several concrete cases where climate change challenges both our traditional theories and the existing institutional frameworks for global political governance, with a particular focus on climate-induced migration and climate change as a security issue.

Instruction

The teaching consists of mandatory seminars and lectures that cover current research on various theories related to the relationships between climate change, justice, human rights, moral and political responsibility, and global political governance, as well as some practical cases where these theories are applied. All teaching is conducted in English.

To complete the course, at least 75% attendance is required for the teaching activities described in the course syllabus. Absence from seminars must be compensated by an additional assignment determined by the course instructor. If more than 25% of the sessions are missed, exceptional circumstances are required, which will also be assessed by the course instructor, for a final grade to be awarded.

Assessment

The course is assessed through mandatory seminars (2 credits), an oral presentation assignment (1.5 credits), and a take-home exam (4 credits).

Grading scale for seminars: Fail-Pass (U-G). Grading scale for all other assessed components: Fail-Pass-Pass with distinction (U-G-VG).

If there are special circumstances, the examiner may make exceptions to the specified examination format and allow a student to be assessed in a different way. Special circumstances may include, for example, notification of special educational support from the university's coordinator for students with disabilities.

Other regulations

Good reading skills in English are required. The student must be capable of working independently throughout the course.

Transitional provisions

Students retain the right to be examined on the course according to this syllabus for 3 semesters after their course instance has ended. Normally, instruction will be given according to the latest version of the course syllabus only.