SV-433 Imaginaries of Climate

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Master's Programme in Sociology

Teaching language

English

Course contents

Climate change is arguably the defining issue of our age. The ongoing and uneven impact of extreme weather, rising sea-levels and socio-ecological disruption concerns institutions, movements and individuals around the world. The possible responses to a changing climate, however, depend not only on robust policy, market mechanisms and ‘green’ technologies, but on the ‘imaginaries’ that subsist as the unstructured and inarticulate background to everyday life. Imaginaries allow shared interpretations of reality and offer the basis for discussion and reflection. They tell us what is legitimate, feasible and valuable - and what is not. Imaginaries shift, transmute and compete to offer alternative visions of the past and the future, in which ecological crisis, technological development, colonial violence and sustainability transformation unfold in distinct ways. This course focuses on the imaginaries of climate and climate change. Drawing from cutting-edge research and a range of material from science, media, fiction and visual arts, we engage with the following questions: Which imaginaries are dominant and where can alternatives be found? What role is played by experts, artists, businesses, citizens, technologies and students in distributing and disrupting imaginaries? In what different ways are non-human nature and future generations imagined? How can we locate, analyse, contest and change imaginaries?

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• Consider the relevance of imaginaries for conceptualising and promoting social transformation.
• Engage with the work of Charles Taylor, Shelia Jasanoff, Kathryn Yusoff, Kyle Whyte and other important theorists on this topic.
• Critically discuss one of the most important concerns facing societies and social scientists today.
• Practice visual discourse analysis and other methodologies appropriate for examining imaginaries.

Examination requirements

Approved mandatory assignment, further information will be given in Canvas at the start of the semester.

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars. Information is posted on Canvas. Expected work volume is approximately 140 hours.

Evaluation

The course lecturer decides, in cooperation with student representative, the form of student evaluation and whether the course is to have a midway or end of course evaluation in accordance with the quality system for education, chapter 4.1.

Assessment methods and criteria

Portfolio assignment. Graded A-F. Further information will be given in Canvas.