Admission requirements
Required course(s):
- Birth of the Modern World
Description
This course offers a broad historical introduction to a set of social movements and intellectual traditions that have come to be known as “environmentalism.” After making brief acquaintance with the interdisciplinary subfield of environmental history, we will investigate a series of questions about the ways that humans have conceptualized, and organized politically in relation to, the natural world. A sampling: How did the expansion of the Spanish, French, British and Dutch empires shape early European ideas about ecological conservation? What explains the late nineteenth-century emergence of (inter)national organizations devoted to urban smoke abatement, migratory bird protection, vegetarian diets, and national parks? How did environmental movements evolve (and proliferate globally) after the “ecological revolution” of the 1970s—and against a backdrop of the “great acceleration” in human population growth, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions? And how has the concept of the Anthropocene affected environmental activism in last decade?
By attending to environmentalisms both “rich” and “poor,” we will compare mobilizations that arose among middle-class activists in countries like the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan, with those that have been led primarily by indigenous, peasant, and pastoralist communities in places like Brazil, Nigeria, and India. But we will also examine differences and conflicts within particular societies, as disparate groups have vied across social hierarchies to define the terms of “environmental protection,” “environmental health,” and “environmental justice.” Finally, we will keep our eyes open to the fascinating routes by which activists and ideas have circulated transnationally, sometimes in ways that will surprise us.
The overall aim is to develop a historical perspective for understanding the environmental politics of the current moment, so that we might approach our own predicaments with patience, curiosity, compassion, and resolve. No prior knowledge is presumed or required. And while the course is rooted in the historical discipline, it will invite (and reward) expertise from across LUC’s majors, including those in the sciences. All are welcome.
Course Objectives
By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
Describe and compare the main traditions of environmentalist thinking and practice in Europe and North America.
Explain the origins and trajectories of select environmental movements of the Global South.
Periodize the most important developments in environmental movement-making since the late nineteenth century.
Develop skills in analyzing (and writing about) both scholarly historical works and primary source material.
Construct a clearly reasoned historical essay about an environmental movement of their choosing.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2021-2022 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
Our class meetings will include a mix of lectures, discussions, and excursions. It is a fairly reading-heavy course, and will include weekly informal writing assignments, as well as a group project.
Assessment Method
Participation: 15%
Reflections for Weeks 1-3: 15%
Final Reflection Portfolio: 30%
Group Project: 40%
Reading list
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Ann Marie Wilson (a.m.wilson@luc.leidenuniv.nl)