HELGA. Nature, knowledge, and power in the Anthropocene

Course content

HELGA. Nature, knowledge, and power in the Anthropocene
Contemporary environmental challenges including climate change, mass extinctions, biodiversity loss, rampant pollution, and more demonstrate that the status quo will no longer be sufficient. In recent scholarship, the articulation of the current epoch as the Anthropocene, or human disturbance at a planetary scale, has shaped efforts to re-think approaches to research, policy, history, nature, and everyday life with profound consequences for all earth inhabitants. In this course, we will historicize and situate the Anthropocene, the knowledge and governance regimes that have shaped our current moment, and current efforts to respond to environmental challenges in particular around the themes of agriculture, food, energy, land-use, biodiversity, and nature.

In addition to introducing key concepts, fields, texts and approaches in environmental humanities and science and technology studies (STS), the course includes a significant focus on problem-based work. In the lectures and in individual projects, students will work with case studies based in Denmark and beyond related to course themes. Case studies could for example include rewilding projects in Denmark, climate change mitigation efforts in Copenhagen, or human-animal relations in a particular site. These cases as well as a secondary assignment will form the basis for peer and instructor feedback workshops and the final portfolio assignment.

The course will thus provide insight into how various nature, resource, climate and environmental issues take shape through specific perspectives and frameworks. At the same time, the course shows how Saxo's expertise can be used to understand the often-unspoken premises on which debates about the environment and climate are based, and thus how we as humanists can help to ask new questions and thereby work for a more equitable distribution of goods, problems and resources, locally and globally.

Please note that the majority of instruction and texts will be in English, however we will have guest lectures and group work in Danish and all written materials can be in Danish per student preferences.

OBS:
"Forskningsområde" indgår som en integreret del af:
- Metode 1: Feltarkæologi med forskningsområde (kun studerende på Forhistorisk Arkæologi)
- Kulturanalyse med forskningsområde (Etnologistuderende)
Blanketnavn: HELGA, 3.semester: Forskningsområde, efterår 2025

- Område 3: historieformidling med formidlingsteori og forskningsområde (Historiestuderende - se Historie, BA, lektionskatalog efterår 2025).
Blanketnavn: Historie, BA, 3.semester: Forskningsområde, efterår 2025

Education

Forskningsområde knyttet til kurser på Saxo-Instituttet for Arkæologi-, Etnologi og Historiestuderende på 3. semester og Græsk- og Latinstuderende på 5. semester.

Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
ECTS
0 ECTS
Type of assessment
Other
Type of assessment details
Portfoliobestemmelser: Portfolio regulations: Portfolio consisting of 2 parts
Total scope: 8-10 standard pages
Part 1:
5-6 pages analysis of a self-selected case or controversy in relation to course themes. Literature from the course must be included in the analysis, which must also:
- be well-defined
- contain an account of the case/controversy itself, as it is expressed in the media, literature, etc.
- analyze how and with what consequences particular forms of knowledge, views of nature, and/or forms of expertise are expressed

Part 2:
3-4 pages case study and analysis based on a key course concept and local fieldwork, conducted as part of the course. This assignment will include:
- A description of a particular entity/infrastructure interaction
- An analysis based on course texts
- An optional visual element that extends the analysis
Aid
All aids allowed
Censorship form
No external censorship
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 88
  • Exam Preparation
  • 62
  • English
  • 192

Kursusinformation

Language
English
Course number
HSAXO0524U
ECTS
0 ECTS
Programme level
Bachelor
Duration

1 semester

Placement
Autumn
Schedulegroup
Se skemalink
Studyboard
Study Board of Archaeology, Ethnology, Greek & Latin, History
Contracting department
  • SAXO-Institute - Archaeology, Ethnology, Greek & Latin, History
Contracting faculty
  • Faculty of Humanities
Course Coordinator
  • Katy Kelsey Overstreet   (15-6d63767b3071786774757674676776426a776f306d7730666d)
Saved on the 25-04-2025

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Courseinformation of students