Kurzus nemzetközi vendég- és részidős hallgatóknak
- Kar
- Bölcsészettudományi Kar
- Szervezet
- BTK Művészetelméleti és Médiakutatási Intézet
- Kód
- MA-ERA-ITHAMS-S-M-126.VV
- Cím
- Current issues in communication and media research - Communicating for the environment in the age of ecological crisis
- Tervezett félév
- Tavaszi
- Meghirdetve
- 2025/26/2
- ECTS
- 8
- Nyelv
- en
- Tantárgy tartalma
- The course is designed for MA students who are interested in the intersection of humanities, social sciences and ecology. No prior knowledge of the subject is a prerequisite. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, rise of seal levels, plastic pollution and a range of other global environmental problems have become part of our everyday reality, requiring us to rethink the eternal, but ever changing relationship between humans and nature. The starting point for the course is the basic tenet of critical cultural studies that discursive practices in the public sphere mutually influence material reality. The news media, social media, mass culture, but also our everyday practices represent our relationship to the environment, and a meaningful analysis of these practices can help us understand the reasons of the current ecological crisis as well as explore possible adaptive and mitigating strategies. The course consists of two modules. First, we will review different forms, actors and platforms of environmental communication (i.e. news media, political communication, pop cultural artefacts, social media etc.) and possible methods for their analysis (i.e. rhetorical analysis, critical discourse analysis). Next students will work in larger groups to identify the local level form of a global environmental problem to be addressed as a project for the rest of the course. The research-based project aims to explore the material and discursive aspects of the problem, the actors shaping it, while taking into account the three pillars of sustainability. Following the in depth investigation of the topic students are required to formulate an action plan that could lead to the solution or mitigation of the problem. The course aims to engage students in grassroots environmental activism at the local level using communication tools, through a project based on their own choice and interest. Introduction- 02.10 Overview of the course syllabus, discussing the main requirements and outlines of the group projects. Familiarisation with online tools for learning and communication, e.g. project work aids and resources, course themes, bibliographies etc. Explanation of the evaluation criteria. How to define the environment- 02.17. Reading: Pezzullo, P. C., & Cox, R. (2018). Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere (5th Ed pp 50-74) further reading: Pattberg, P. (2007). Conquest, domination and control: Europe’s mastery of nature in historic perspective. Journal of Political Ecology, 14(1), 1-9. A historical overview of cultural changes regarding the concept of nature and the environment. What economic, social or environmental processes have shaped the relationship between human and nature? Why is the idea of exploitation and domination of nature (i.e.the capitalist economic system ) rooted in Europe? When and why did the idea of protecting the environment arise? An introduction to the field of environmental communication -02.24. Video available: What is environmental communication- an introduction to the field Reading: Pezzullo, P. C., & Cox, R. (2018). Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere (5th Ed pp 32-50) further reading: Hochman, J. (1997). Green cultural studies: an introductory critique of an emerging discipline. Mosaic: A journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature, 81-96. In contrast to critical categories of social oppression and inequality such as race, gender or class, has the issue of nature belatedly become a focus of cultural studies. What is the reason for this? What is environmental communication concerned with, what is ecocriticism and green cultural studies? The pragmatic and constitutive functions of environmental communication. Environmental communication as a crisis and care discipline. Is or should science be value neutral? Research methods -03.03. Reading: Peeples, J., & Murphy, M. (2015). Discourse and rhetorical analysis approaches to environment, media, and communication. In A.Hansen & R. Cox (eds.). The Routledge handbook of environment and communication (pp. 39-49). Routledge. further reading (optional): Cantrill, J. (2015). Social sciences approach to environment, media and communication. From ecocriticism, through critical discourse analysis to rhetorical analysis. An overview of the most common research methods when analysing environmental discourse. “Nature will be fine”- the far right and the environment- 03.10. Authoritarian and populist political configurations are on the rise globally, which has alarming results for the environment. Exploring the commonalities of these regimes regarding their environmental politics and ideological ties to nationalism as well as their ambiguous relationship to neoliberal capitalism. Reading: McCarthy, J. (2019) Authoritarianism, Populism, and the Environment: Comparative Experiences, Insights, and Perspectives, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 109(2), 301-307. further reading (optional): Lubarda, S. (2024). Far-Right Ecologism (pp.1-33). Routledge. further reading (optional): Wodak, R. (2019). The trajectory of far-right populism. In Forchtner, B. The far-right and the environment- Politics, discourse and the environment (pp 19-38 ) Project set up- first group presentation- .03.17., 03.24. Each group presents its project plan to the other students. Which environmental phenomenon or problem do they want to reflect on? How does this problem manifest itself at the local level? Which actors play a role in shaping the problem? Which channels of communication will be explored and how? Drawing a mind map. Visual environmental communication on social media- 03.31. A case study about climate denier content on Instagram. How climate scepticism is embedded in a web of conspiracy theories related to the far right. Spring Break 04.07. Greenwashing vs. Greenpeace- 04.14. reading:Jacobsson, D. (2019). In the Name of (Un)Sustainability: A Critical Analysis of How Neoliberal Ideology Operates Through Discourses About Sustainable Progress and Equality.TripleC 17(1), 19-37. Best practices and bad examples of environmental communication on an organisational level. Case studies of exemplary greenpeace campaigns as well as bad examples of corporate greenwashing. Nature in mass culture- 04.21. We explore how nature is being symbolically constructed culturally through various pop cultural artefacts. Animation and ecocriticism, the case of the Oscars.How Disney's Hollywood mammoth changed frames of nature from Bambi to Zootopia. 10-12. Group works and their presentations- 04.28, 05.05. Each group presents its chosen topic, its investigative and problem-solving aspects. Students evaluate their own and each other's work. We reflect together on what has been presented. Summary 05.12.
- Számonkérés és értékelés
- Students will work in groups to identify the local level form of a global environmental problem to be addressed as a project for the rest of the course. The research-based project aims to explore the material and discursive aspects of the problem, the actors shaping it, while taking into account the three pillars of sustainability. Following the in depth investigation of the topic students are required to formulate an action plan that could lead to the solution or mitigation of the problem Evaluation Reading and understanding of course materials Project work and presentation of the research setup (mid-course) and it's final outcomes (end of the course)- details and evaluation criteria are to be found on Google Classroom. Activity throughout classes. Please note that more than three absences will result in the course not being completed in accordance with university regulations. lecturer: Virág Vécsey (she/her) e-mail: vecseyvirag@gmail.com teams channel link (only for CHARM students) google classroom code: cawdjwu6 Attendance Only students who are enrolled in the CHARM-EU Global Challenges for Sustainability Program can oin classes online via Teams: Here is the link PLEASE NOTE THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ENROLLED IN THE CHARM program CAN NOT JOIN IN ONLINE, BUT HAVE TO ATTEND EVERY CLASS IN PERSON (1053, BUDAPEST, MÚZEUM KRT. MAIN BUILDING, 1st FLOOR ROOM 13A) Time: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00 CET Please note that more than three absences will result in the course not being completed in accordance with university regulations.