Special Course on Environmental Humanities
Course code
HIK6088.HT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Erikursus keskkonnahumanitaariast
Course title in English
Special Course on Environmental Humanities
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2023/2024 Spring semester
Julia Kuznetski (language of instruction:English)
lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
The course is part of the environmental humanities module. The purpose of the course is getting acquainted with some theories in the present-day environmental humanities, with a stress on ecocriticism and employing these methodological instruments in analysing various literary texts as well as audiovisual media, from the point of view of the intersection of culture and the environment.
Brief description of the course
During the course, current methods in the environmental humanities/ecocritism are employed, such as place theory, environmental semiotics, new materialism, animal and plant studies, ecopoetics, ecofeminism, postcoloial ecocriticism, etc. The case studies include fictional texts, nature and travel writings, poetry as well as experimental narratives (blogs, videos), films, animations, graphic novels, etc. Attention is given to the connections of the cultural examples with the actual environmental issues: culture as a form of activism, culture’s political agenda.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- has familiarised oneself with the main terminology and concepts of the field as well as the characteristic features of different cultural examples that can be approached from the point of view of environmental humanities and ecocriticism;
- is able to apply the newly acquired knowledge and skills, completing the given assignments (group project, final essay) achieving a positive grade;
- understands the tenets of ecocriticism and their importance in realising the urgency of (environmental) issues in today’s world;
- is motivated to undertake further research in the field and the environmental humanities in general.
- has familiarised oneself with the main terminology and concepts of the field as well as the characteristic features of different cultural examples that can be approached from the point of view of environmental humanities and ecocriticism;
- is able to apply the newly acquired knowledge and skills, completing the given assignments (group project, final essay) achieving a positive grade;
- understands the tenets of ecocriticism and their importance in realising the urgency of (environmental) issues in today’s world;
- is motivated to undertake further research in the field and the environmental humanities in general.
Teacher
Julia Kuznetski
Additional information
Independent work consists in working with academic theoretical texts, analysing literary, cultural and audivisual examples, making one’s contribution to groupwork, writing the final essay.
Grading: active participation in seminar work, group project, final essay.
Grading: active participation in seminar work, group project, final essay.
Study programmes containing that course