{"id":23,"date":"2016-01-13T18:08:31","date_gmt":"2016-01-13T18:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/?page_id=23"},"modified":"2016-01-26T22:48:39","modified_gmt":"2016-01-26T22:48:39","slug":"syllabus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/syllabus\/","title":{"rendered":"Syllabus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Syl.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Course Syllabus PDF<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>POL S 301 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Winter 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Anthropocene Politics: <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Integrating Cosmopolitanism and Green Theory<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 226px;\" width=\"599\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Professor Karen Litfin\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office hours: \u00a0<\/strong><strong>M 1-3 pm, W 2-3 pm or by appt. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>E-mail:\u00a0 <a href=\"mailto:litfin@uw.edu\">litfin@uw.edu<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office:\u00a0 Gowen 33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Website:\u00a0 https:\/\/canvas.uw.edu\/courses\/1037818<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong><u>What We Will Study<\/u><\/strong><br \/>\nFor each of the following reasons, the Anthropocene presents us with the problem of all problems:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It was a colossal accident, an unintended consequence of everyday life for over seven billion of us.<\/li>\n<li>These daily choices are strongly driven by an amalgamation of psychological and institutional forces with deep historical and even\u00a0biological roots.<\/li>\n<li>The actions of a few of us are far greater drivers than are those of most us, but our lower-impact members are quickly\u00a0adopting the habits of the affluent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Taken alone, each of these factors presents a conundrum; taken together, they suggest the need for new forms of politics that integrate concerns for global justice and ecological responsibility. This course will explore the following\u00a0themes, with a special focus on climate change, the biodiversity crisis and the world food system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the intersection of human rights and ecological sustainability<\/li>\n<li>intergenerational ethics<\/li>\n<li>animal ethics<\/li>\n<li>localism\/globalism<\/li>\n<li>citizenship and consumerism<\/li>\n<li>personal agency and global governance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While these issues can be illuminated by empirical and theoretical study, so too can we investigate them through personal and\u00a0interpersonal introspection, for our complicity in the Anthropocene implies that each of us must answer the question, \u201cWho am I in\u00a0relation to this?\u201d Rather than studying issues like climate change, the extinction crisis and world food challenges as\u00a0happening only \u201cout there,\u201d we will view them as also happening \u201cin here&#8221; by continually asking ourselves, &#8220;Who am in relation to\u00a0this?&#8221; This holistic approach involves integrating cognitive learning with affective and somatic awareness through reflective and\u00a0contemplative exercises and community service.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>What You Will Learn <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you participate actively in this course, including grasping content from lectures and readings, engaging yourself dynamically in quiz sections, and writing thoughtful papers, I expect that you will improve your skillfulness in many arenas, most especially the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Critical and integrative thinking skills about some of the most important issues of our day, especially climate change<\/li>\n<li>Cognitive, emotional, and somatic self-awareness<\/li>\n<li>Your ability to articulate ideas and feelings about these issues, in writing and conversation<\/li>\n<li>Your ability to listen to, understand, empathize and collaborate with others who do not necessarily share your opinions and beliefs<\/li>\n<li>Your sense of what it means to be a human being living at this moment in history<\/li>\n<li>Your sense of social and political agency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Course requirements<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intensive reading on the human and biophysical dimensions of the Anthropocen \u00a0(100-150 pages\/week)<\/li>\n<li>Active participation in seminar discussions<\/li>\n<li>A daily reflective or contemplative practice<\/li>\n<li>Writing in both a private journal and a public blog<\/li>\n<li>Weekly meetings with your \u201cstudy\/action group\u201d<\/li>\n<li>A community service project with your study\/action group<\/li>\n<li>A rough draft and final paper on\u00a0Anthropocene politics (topic TBA)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>What You Will Do<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Participation:<\/strong> What you learn depends upon what you do. Please bring your <strong>full presence<\/strong> to class, having read the associated materials <u>beforehand. <\/u><\/p>\n<p><strong>Journaling:<\/strong> In order to help you assimilate the course material as well personalize it, you will keep a personal journal and write in it for at least one hour each week. I encourage you to get yourself a beautiful journal: something with real paper, something that will inspire you, something you can bring outside. While this is a personal journal, you will have three opportunities to share some of your work. First, you will select passages you wish to share with me and submit them in the third and seventh weeks of the quarter. Second, you may choose to publish some of your writings on our course blog. Third, you may find yourself weaving sections of your journal into your final paper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Course blog: <\/strong>You will be responsible for writing at least one entry in our course blog. (Details TBA)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Study\/action groups: <\/strong>You will participate in a study\/action group of 4-6 students. The group\u2019s purpose is threefold. First, it will help you assimilate and deepen your connection to the course material in a smaller social setting than the class. Second, your group will experiment with contemplative practices\u2014either those introduced in class or others. Third, your group will engage in a community service or educational project that you decide upon and implement collectively.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bringing it to the polis: <\/strong>In our exploration of Anthropocene politics, we will be engaged in deep introspection and sharing. Yet, our study would be incomplete if we did not bring it into the wider collective\u2014hence the study\/action groups. These projects will reflect your group\u2019s interests and passions. You will also write a short paper (3 pages) about your contribution to your group\u2019s project.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Final paper:<\/strong> The final requirement for this course is an 8-10 page paper addressing how the Anthropocene might shape our understanding of a core concept in political theory, such as freedom, justice, citizenship, governance, power, agency, or progress. Students wishing to receive \u2018W\u2019 credit will submit a rough draft in the eighth week of the quarter.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Required Texts (in order of usage)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Christian Schw\u00e4gerl (2014) <em>The Anthropocene: The Human Era and How It Shapes Our Planet<\/em>. Synergetic Press.<\/p>\n<p>Jane Bennett (2010) <em>Vibrant Matter: a political ecology of things. <\/em>Duke University Press.<\/p>\n<p>Chris Johnstone and Joanna Macy (2012)\u00a0<em>Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We\u2019re in Without Going Crazy<\/em>. New World Library.<\/p>\n<p>Electronic readings on Canvas<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>SCHEDULE of READINGS and ASSIGNMENTS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1\/4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Introduction: New Directions for Politics in the Anthropocene \u00a0\u00a0No readings<\/p>\n<p>1\/6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Welcome to the Anthropocene<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>: Schw\u00e4gerl, pp. ix-69.<\/p>\n<p>Sara Schley, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oxfordleadership.com\/journal\/vol2_issue1\/schley.pdf\">Sustainability: Inner and Outer Work<\/a><\/p>\n<p><u>Recommended<\/u>:<\/p>\n<p>McKibben, Global Warming\u2019s Terrifying New Math\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/news\/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719\">http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/news\/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719<\/a><\/p>\n<p>NPR interview with Elizabeth Kolbert, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2014\/02\/12\/275885377\/in-the-worlds-sixth-extinction-are-humans-the-asteroid\">In The World&#8217;s &#8216;Sixth Extinction,&#8217; Are Humans The Asteroid?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1\/11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Making Connections<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>: Donella Meadows, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.donellameadows.org\/archives\/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system\/http:\/www.donellameadows.org\/archives\/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system\/\">\u201cLeverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sandhya Johnson, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.slideshare.net\/sandhyajohnson\/thinking-in-systems-donella-meadows-chapters-1-to-3\">\u201cThinking in systems\u201d Slideshare<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Langdon Winner, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.technopolis.blogspot.qa\/2015\/09\/earths-water-crisis-vision-from-space.html?m=1\">\u201cEarth\u2019s Water Crisis from Space\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>MacNeill, \u201cShadow Ecologies\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Michael Maniates, \u201cIndividualization\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DO:\u00a0 Calculate your ecological footprint at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.footprintnetwork.org\/en\/index.php\/GFN\/page\/calculators\/\">http:\/\/www.footprintnetwork.org\/en\/index.php\/GFN\/page\/calculators\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><u>Recommended<\/u>: John Richardson, When the End of Civilization is Your Day Job<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.esquire.com\/news-politics\/a36228\/ballad-of-the-sad-climatologists-0815\/\">http:\/\/www.esquire.com\/news-politics\/a36228\/ballad-of-the-sad-climatologists-0815\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1\/13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Human Face(s) of the Anthropocene<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>: Scientific American, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/climate-change-hastened-the-syrian-war\/\">\u201cClimate Change Hastened Syria&#8217;s Civil War\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tikkun, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tikkun.org\/nextgen\/24686\">\u201cMourning the Suffering of the Refugees\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Frank Biermann, <a href=\"http:\/\/europe.newsweek.com\/climate-change-will-cause-worlds-next-migration-crisis-333024\">\u201cClimate Change and the Next Migration Crisis\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Timothy Snyder, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/09\/13\/opinion\/sunday\/the-next-genocide.html\">\u201cThe Next Genocide\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Christian Parenti, <a href=\"https:\/\/muse.jhu.edu\/login?auth=0&amp;type=summary&amp;url=\/journals\/sais_review\/v035\/35.1.parenti.html\">\u201cFlower of War\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1\/20\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Anthropogenic Ecosystems<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ: <\/u><\/strong>Schw\u00e4gerl, Chapters 5-9 (pp. 70-174).<\/p>\n<p>Peter Kahn, \u201cEnvironmental Generational Amnesia\u201d<\/p>\n<p>WATCH IN STUDY\/ACTION GROUPS: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU\">\u201cHome\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1\/24 \u00a0 \u00a0 FIRST JOURNAL SUBMISSION ON CANVAS<\/p>\n<p>1\/25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Inner Landscape of the Anthropocene<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>: Dickinson, J. L.\u00a02009. The people paradox: self-esteem striving, immortality ideologies, and human response to climate change.\u00a0<em>Ecology and Society<\/em>\u00a014(1): 34.<\/p>\n<p>Samantha Frost, \u201cFear and the Illusion of Autonomy\u201d from Diana Coole and S. Frost (eds.) <em>New Materialisms: Ontology, Agency, and Politics<\/em>. (Duke University Press, 2010), pp.158-177.<\/p>\n<p>Renee Lertzmann, \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/reneelertzman.com\/the-myth-of-apathy\/\">The Myth of Apathy\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Timothy Withbrow, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.postcarbon.org\/publications\/dangerously-addictive\/\">\u201cDangerously Addictive\u201d<\/a> from Daniel Lerch (ed.) <em>The PostCarbon Reader<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Karen Litfin, \u201cThe Sacred and the Profane in the Ecological Politics of Sacrifice\u201d in Meyer and Maniates (eds.) <em>The Environmental Politics of Sacrifice<\/em>. (MIT Press, 2010).<\/p>\n<p>1\/27 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nature\/human<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0 Damian White, Alan Rudy, and Brian Gareau, <em>Environments, Natures and Social \u00a0\u00a0 Theory<\/em>. (Palgrave, 2015), Introduction and Chapters 1-2, pp. 1-51.<\/p>\n<p>2\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rethinking Materialism<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0 Jane Bennett, <em>Vibrant Matter, <\/em>Preface and Chapters 1-3 (pp. vii-xix and 1-51).<\/p>\n<p>IN-CLASS VIDEO: \u201cJourney of the Universe\u201d<\/p>\n<p>2\/3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rethinking Power and Agency<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Bennett, Chapters 4-end.<\/p>\n<p>ACTION\/GROUP PROPOSALS DUE (Group project)<\/p>\n<p>2\/8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The New Eco(logy\/nomy)<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ: <\/u><\/strong>Schw\u00e4gerl, Chapter 10 (pp. 174-190)<\/p>\n<p>David Loy, \u201cReligion of the Market\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naomi Klein, \u201cThe Changes Everything\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Charles Eisenstein, \u201cSacred Economics\u201d<\/p>\n<p>2\/10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Anthropocene Politics and Anti-Politics<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ:\u00a0 <\/u><\/strong>Schw\u00e4gerl, Chapter 11 (pp. 191-205)<\/p>\n<p>Jedediah Purdy, <em>After Nature: A Politics for the Anthropocene, <\/em>Prologue &amp; Introduction<\/p>\n<p>(pp. 1-50)<\/p>\n<p>2\/14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SECOND JOURNAL SUBMISSION ON CANVAS<\/p>\n<p>2\/15\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Learning from the Paris Accord<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ<\/strong>:\u00a0 Purdy, <em>After Nature<\/em>, Chapter 7 (pp. 228-255).<\/p>\n<p>Other readings TBA<\/p>\n<p>2\/17\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Noosphere and the Anthropocene<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0 Thomas Berry, \u201cThe University\u201d (Chapter 7, <em>The Great Work<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn Fox Keller, \u201cDynamic Objectivity: Love, Power, and Knowledge\u201d (from <em>Gender and Science<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy Rifkin, <em>Empathic Civilization<\/em>, Part I<\/p>\n<p>2\/19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 FIRST DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER DUE ON CANVAS<\/p>\n<p>2\/24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Coming to Our Senses<\/p>\n<p>David Abram, <em>Becoming Animal<\/em> (selections)<\/p>\n<p>2\/29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Anthropocene Politics: Visions of the Future<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 White, Rudy and Gareau, Chapters 9-10\u00a0 (pp. 176-212)<\/p>\n<p>Schw\u00e4gerl, Chapter 12 and Epilogue (pp. 206-227)<\/p>\n<p>3\/2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ACTION PROJECT PRESENTATIONS (Group)<\/p>\n<p>3\/4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ACTION PROJECT PAPERS DUE ON CANVAS<\/p>\n<p>3\/7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Personal is Political<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>: Macy and Johnstone, <em>Active Hope<\/em>, Parts 1-2<\/p>\n<p>3\/9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Going Forth: Person\/Planet Praxis<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>READ<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0 <em>Active Hope<\/em>, Part 3<\/p>\n<p>3\/15\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 FINAL PROJECTS DUE ON CANVAS<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Course Syllabus PDF POL S 301 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Winter 2016 Anthropocene Politics: Integrating Cosmopolitanism and Green Theory \u00a0 Professor Karen Litfin\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office hours: \u00a0M 1-3 pm, W 2-3 pm or by appt. E-mail:\u00a0 litfin@uw.edu\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office:\u00a0 Gowen 33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Website:\u00a0 https:\/\/canvas.uw.edu\/courses\/1037818 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 What We Will&#8230; <a href=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/syllabus\/\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96,"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23\/revisions\/96"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/ps301\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}