ENGL3170 Discourses of the Climate Crisis (Discourses of the Climate Crisis)

Discourses in/of the Climate Crisis        Instructor: Mehdi Galière

Academic year 2022/2023, Spring term

 

 

 

Course description

This interdisciplinary seminar addresses the following questions: In what ways are language and the climate crisis related? How do the different ways of representing the climate crisis influence the actions taken to tackle it? If there is a consensus on the reality of the climate emergency, how can a consensus be achieved on the appropriate answers to it? By whom, and in whose interests?

In this seminar, students will understand what a critical approach to language use and ecology entails. We will explore and define key concepts such as ‘climate change’, ‘ecolinguistics’, ‘the Anthropocene’, ‘social classes’, ‘hegemony’, ‘green politics’, and ‘capitalism’ in the context of the climate crisis. This will lead us to the ultimate aim of the course: to understand how power relations are embedded in the different ways of representing and acting upon the climate emergency.

Students are expected to keep up with the readings and to come prepared for the in-class discussion. Evaluation will consist of a seminar paper and of a self-reflexive essay. The possible topics of the short seminar paper (2000-2500 words, around 8-10 pages double-spaced) and the deadline for submission will be discussed in the last but one class.

 

Assessment Policy

Self-reflexive essay: 50%

Seminar paper: 50%


 

Schedule

Session

TOPIC

READING

Session 1

 

Introduction

S1: Lawrence & Laybourn-Langton 2021, Chapter 1 ‘This is about power’, pp 19-42

Session 2

Eco-socialist, Feminist perspectives

S2: Fraser 2022, Chapter 4, pp 75-92

 

S3: Fraser 2022, Chapter 4, pp 92-113

 

Session 3

Session 4

Right-wing discourses: eco-survivalism and green nationalism

S4: Malm & Zetkin Collective 2021, Chapter 5, pp 133-156

Session 5

S5: Malm & Zetkin Collective 2021, Chapter 5, pp 156-179

 

Session 6

S6: Katz-Rosene & Szwarc 2022, pp 1-20

 

Session 7

Ecological politics and the issue of social class

S7: Huber 2019, Part 1, pp 7-26

 

Session 8

S8: Huber 2019, Part 2&3, pp 26-45

 

 

Fraser, Nancy. 2022. Cannibal Capitalism: How Our System Is Devouring Democracy, Care, and the Planet and What We Can Do About It. London: Verso.

Huber, Matt. 2019. “Ecological Politics for the Working Class.” Catalyst 3 (1): 7–45. ISSN: 2475-7365

Katz-Rosene, Ryan, and Julia Szwarc. 2022. ‘Preparing for Collapse: The Concerning Rise of “Eco-Survivalism”’. Capitalism Nature Socialism 33 (1): 111–30. ISSN : 1045-5752

Lawrence, Mathew, and Laurie Laybourn-Langton. 2021. Planet on Fire: A Manifesto for the Age of Environmental Breakdown. London ; New York: Verso. ISBN: 978-1-78873-877-4

Malm, Andreas, and The Zetkin Collective. 2021. White Skin, Black Fuel: On the Danger of Fossil Fascism. London ; New York: Verso. ISBN: 978-1-83976-174-4