Green Politics: From Theory to Practice
Course content
This course introduces students to the study and practice of environmental politics from a Green perspective that recognizes the current global ecological crisis as a unique policy issue requiring new ways of thinking about politics. This perspective, which we call ‘Green Politics,’ contends that disciplinary approaches alone are insufficient for understanding the complexity of environmental problems and identifying sustainable solutions.
In this course, students will explore Green Politics as distinct way of approaching the study and practice of environmental politics, noting that Green Politics is not a singular ideology or coherent theory. Rather, Green Politics represents a diverse set of concepts, theories and methods from the interdisciplinary field of environmental social science that allow for new ways of thinking about the world we live in and the ecological challenges we face. The aim is to equip students with the analytical tools to incorporate Green Politics thinking into their analyses of environmental problems and the types of actions needed for a more sustainable future.
The course is organized around four themes that cut across Green Politics: 1) Green political thought, 2) linking humans and nature, 3) dealing with complexity and interconnectedness, and 4) pursuing transformation. Each week is organized as two 2-hour sessions. The first session will introduce key theories, concepts, and debates through lectures and reading discussions. The second session will focus on applying a Green Politics perspective to specific cases and issues in contemporary environmental politics through interactive activities, group work and field trips
Full-degree students enrolled at the Department of Political Science, UCPH
- MSc in Political Science
- MSc in Social Science
- MSc in Security Risk Management
- Bachelor in Political Science
Full-degree students enrolled at the Faculty of Social Science, UCPH
- Bachelor and Master Programmes in Anthropology
- Bachelor and Master Programmes in Psychology
- Master Programme in Social Data Science
The course is open to:
- Exchange and Guest students from abroad
- Credit students from Danish Universities
- Open University students
Knowledge:
- Identify, summarise and differentiate between key theories and concepts used in studying environmental issues from a Green Politics perspective.
- Describe environmental problems and governance efforts from a Green Politics perspective.
Skills:
- Apply a Green Politics perspective compare and evaluate different understandings and responses to environmental problems.
- Identify and critically analyze key theories and concepts in Green Politics
Competences:
- I
- Analyze and critically evaluate scientific and political arguments about environmental issues;
- Analyze and critically assess real-world problems related to environmental politics from a Green Politics perspective
Classes will be interactive with group work, discussion, and lecture-style elements.
This is an illustrative list. 1500-2100 pages total.
- Abson DJ, Fischer J, Leventon J et al (2016) Leverage points for sustainability transformation: institutions, people, knowledge. Ambio 46(1): 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-016-0800-y [10 pp]
- Anna Tsing “The Mushrooms at the end of the world”, Prologue “Autumn Aroma” Chapter one “Arts of noticing”, chapter two “contanmination as collaboration” and chapter three “some problems with scale”
- Biermann, F. 2021. The future of ‘environmental’ policy in the Anthropocene: Time for a paradigm shift. Environmental Politics, 30(1-2), pp.61-80.
- Carl Folke et al., ‘Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere’, Ambio 50: 834–869 (2021)
- Cecilie Rubow “The Indoor People’s Nature – Anthropology on the move towards an ecologised world” chapter 1 “Natures”
- Franchini, M.A. and Inoue, C.Y.A., 2020. Socio-environmentalism. In International Relations from the Global South: Worlds of Difference (A. Tickner and K. Smith, eds.), London: Routledge: pp. 296-314.
- Gupta, J., Van Der Leeuw, K. and De Moel, H., 2007. Climate change: a ‘glocal’problem requiring ‘glocal’action. Environmental Sciences, 4(3), pp.139-148.
- Hickman, T., Partzsch, L., Pattberg, P., and Weiland, S. 2018. Introduction: A political science perspective on the Anthropocene, in The Anthropocene Debate and Political Science (T. Hickmann, L. Partzsch, P. Pattberg, and S. Weiland, eds.), London: Routledge, pp. 1-12.
- Kyle Whyte “Settler Colonialism, Ecology, and environmental justice”
- Lars Tønder “How to Do More-Than-Human Politics: Towards an Ecocentric Model of Democratic Representation” (forthcoming publication on Øens Have)
- Lövbrand, E. 2014. ‘Knowledge and the Environment,’ in Advances in International Environmental Politics (M. Betsill, K. Hochstetler, and D. Stevis, eds.), pp. 161-184.
- Marion Suiseeya, K.R., O’connell, M.G., Leoso, E., Defoe, M.S.B.N., Anderson, A., Bang, M., Beckman, P., Boyer, A.M., Dunn, J., Gilbert, J. and Hester, J., 2022. Waking from Paralysis: Revitalizing Conceptions of Climate Knowledge and Justice for More Effective Climate Action. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 700(1), pp.166-182.
- Neil Carter (2018) The Politics of the Environment: Ideas, Activism, Policy, 3rd edition (Cambridge University Press).
- Newell, P. ‘What is Green Politics?’ in Global Green Politics (2019). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-48
- O’Brien, K., 2018. Is the 1.5 C target possible? Exploring the three spheres of transformation. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 31, pp.153-160. [8 pp]
- Pulver S. et al. 2022. Introduction: Foundations for Socio-Environmental Research. In Foundations of Socio-Environmental Research: Legacy readings and commentaries (W.R Burnside, S. Pulver, K.J. Fiorella, M.L. Avolino, and S.M. Alexander, eds.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-12
- Reo, N. and Parker, A., 2013. Re-thinking colonialism to prepare for the impacts of rapid environmental change. Climatic Change, 120(3): 671-682.
- Scoones, I., Stirling, A., Abrol, D., Atela, J., Charli-Joseph, L., Eakin, H., Ely, A., Olsson, P., Pereira, L., Priya, R. and van Zwanenberg, P., 2020. Transformations to sustainability: combining structural, systemic and enabling approaches. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 42, pp.65-75.
- Sophie Chao “In the shadow of the palm”, introduction, chapter 1 “Pressure Points” and chapter 2 “Moving maps”
- Tønder, L. (2020). Power in the Anthropocene. In Om magt I den antropocaene tidsalder: en introduktion. (English translation)
Method 1-3 and Danish and Comparative Politics 1-2 at the undergraduate level or equivalent.
When registered you will be signed up for exam.
- Full-degree students – sign up at Selfservice on KUnet
- Exchange and guest students from abroad – sign up through Mobility Online and Selfservice- read more through this website.
- Credit students from Danish universities - sign up through this website.
- Open University students - sign up through this website.
Please note that this course is not open to students who have previously enrolled in the course The Politics of Environment and Climate Change.
The dates for the exams are found here Exams – Faculty of Social Sciences - University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Please note that it is your own responsibility to check for overlapping exam dates.
- ECTS
- 15 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Home assignmentHome assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Ongoing tests.
See the section regarding exam forms in the program curriculum for more information on guidelines and scope. - Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Exam period
-
Vintereksamen 2026/27
- Re-exam
-
In the semester where the course takes place: Free written assignment
In subsequent semesters: Free written assignment
Criteria for exam assessment
Meet the subject's knowledge, skill and competence criteria, as described in the goal description, which demonstrates the minimally acceptable degree of fulfillment of the subject's learning outcome.
Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 56
- Preparation
- 224
- Exam
- 132,5
- English
- 412,5
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- ASTK18493U
- ECTS
- 15 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
Bachelor
- Duration
-
1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Studyboard
- Department of Political Science, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Political Science
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Michele Merrill Betsill (9-7233676a79786e7171456e6b7833707a336970)
- Ingrid Helene Brandt (4-7978727a507976833e7b853e747b)
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Kursusinformation for indskrevne studerende