Environmental Humanities Toolbox: Approaches and Methodologies

Course

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/L_AAMPALG022

Course Objective

This is an introduction into methodologies and approaches relevant for Environmental Humanities. After completing this course students are able to: identify, know, and understand some scholarly methodologies and approaches of EH; critically reflect on aspects of methodologies and approaches of EH; practice this in a contribution to an multi-disciplinary EH-research project group; and present a case-study with the research group.

Course Content

This seminar aims to provide an introduction into the methodologies and approaches of Environmental Humanities, presenting environmental history, eco-philosophy, eco-criticism, eco-critical art, eco-anthropology, and ecological landscape architecture. Elements include philosophical reflection, close reading of literary works and works of art, historical source criticism and landscape analysis. This course connects and develops concepts and theories introduced in the module Key concepts for EH, for example related to the agency of nature, bio-diversity, subjectivism, time-scales, hybrid landscapes, symbiosis, mutualism, resilience, sustainable practices, environmental justice and the antropocene. The main case-studies to be addressed are plants, representing living nature, and giving access to research on complex ecological relations and bio-diversity; and water, as a movement and a process (rivers, tides, cycles, storms and floods), a main source of life (rainwater, groundwater) and a means of traveling (canals, rivers, seas), giving access to research on the entanglement of nature and culture.

Teaching Methods

The course consists of 7 modules in period 2. After the introduction, in each of 6 modules one approach is presented. Each module consists of 2 mandatory sessions, one introducing the methodology, one for practicing it, including discussing and reflecting on the practices and the norms and values behind them. The second session may also be organized as an excursion, for instance to a work of art, a library or a living landscape. Each module has one individual assignment. Students choose one topic for a small assignment outside their comfort zone. The final research project is done in couples and includes an oral presentation and a written part and is finished in period 3.

Method of Assessment

Small assignments 25%, interdisciplinary research project including oral presentation 60%, participation 15%.

Literature

To be announced in the course manual and in CANVAS.

Target Audience

This course is a mandatory course in the track EH of the Humanities Research Master. It is also open as an elective course to other RMA students, but they need to contact the coordinator in order to be admitted.

Additional Information

This is an English-language course.

Recommended background knowledge

One and preferably two of these disciplines:(environmental) history, (eco)-philosophy, (eco)-criticism (literature studies), (eco)-critical art, or (ecological) landscape architecture, (eco-) anthropology.
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level9.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Master