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 2025/2026 Spring semester

Kadri Tüür (language of instruction:English)

lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Brief description of the course

The course addresses key theoretical approaches and research directions in the environmental humanities, focusing on the interrelations between culture and the environment in a contemporary global context. The thematic and theoretical focus of the course varies (e.g. ecocriticism, ecosemiotics, new materialism, animal and plant studies, ecopoetics, ecofeminism, blue humanities, postcolonial environmental criticism). The course analyses literary and audiovisual texts (e.g. fiction, nature writing, non-fiction, travel writing, memoir, poetry, film, animation, graphic narratives, digital and experimental forms), relating them to environmental issues from the perspective of cultural analysis. Attention is given to the role of culture in shaping environmental awareness, activism, and political and ethical debates (including human–nonhuman relations, environmental justice, waste colonialism, slow violence, the ecological footprint of artificial intelligence, etc.). The course develops students’ ability to analyse environmental issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, applying humanities research methods to discourse on issues of sustainability. A key component of the course is a small-scale creative-research project designed and carried out by the student (e.g. visual essay, graphic narrative, photo collage, performance, video game, etc.), accompanied by an analytical reflection in which the student places their work in the relevant conceptual framework.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- knows the selected theoretical frameworks and concepts from environmental humanities and can use them in connection to broader humanities approaches;
- analyses literary and audiovisual texts from an environmental humanities perspective, using appropriate terminology and distinguishing scientifically substantiated claims from interpretations;
- connects cultural representations to societal and global problems related to the environment;
- integrates knowledge from different humanities fields, addressing environmental issues in an interdisciplinary context;
- works independently and in a team, contributing to group work and joint analysis, plans, carries out and presents a creative research project and prepares an analytical reflection on it in academic English, applying relevant theoretical approaches;
- uses digital and audiovisual materials critically and purposefully, taking into account the ethical issues related to their use, reflects on the role of environmental humanities in contemporary society, critically assessing the contribution of culture to shaping environmental awareness and sustainability.

Teacher

Julia Kuznetski

Study programmes containing that course

Liberal Arts in Humanities (HTLAB/28.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/27.HT)
Swedish Philology (X-GRR3B/26.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/26.HT)
Swedish Philology (X-GRR3B/25.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/25.HT)
Swedish Philology (X-GRR3B/24.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/24.HT)
Swedish Philology (X-GRR3B/23.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/23.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/22.HT)
Swedish Philology (X-GRR3B/22.HT)