In this course we will work to improve your skills as a critical writer. The goal will be to produce clear, analytic, and persuasive arguments that are defended by researched evidence, targeted towards a particular audience, and enter into a critical conversation. In order to help achieve our goals, we will also concentrate heavily on the ‘writing process’ itself, including first drafts, peer review, revision and editing. The course theme of environmentalism and social justice will operate as a critical framework for our reading, discussions and writing this quarter. . Our focus will be on the connections between environmentalism and the broader quest for social justice and equality in our society, and how these issues relate to our everyday lifestyles and value systems. To do this we will be reading and writing about both non-fiction essays and fictional texts.

How are modern ecological problems tied to our society’s economy, popular culture, energy use and overall lifestyles? Has our culture’s recent discussion concerning global climate change changed our collective understanding of the relationship between humans and nature in any significant way? How and to what effect? Furthermore, what new opportunities does this more public and visible debate over climate change afford us in terms of transformative changes to our environmentally destructive economic and social practices? Is eco-consumerism (or, the “go green” movement) an effective and useful development? And finally, which of our values and assumptions do we think can and should be challenged in order to create a more socially just and environmentally responsible society?

Prerequisites:

While 281 has no formal prerequisite, this is an intermediate writing course, and instructors expect entering students to know how to formulate claims, integrate evidence, demonstrate awareness of audience, and structure coherent sentences, paragraphs and essays. Thus we strongly encourage students to complete an introductory (100 level) writing course before enrolling in English 281.