Introduction to environmental communication - Society, social interaction and communicative skills
Information from the course leader
New course schedule available now
We have now uploaded a new version of the course schedule. Find it under the Timetable tab. Note that minor changes can still be made.
2020-07-25
Welcome!
Welcome to the Environmental Communication introduction course! We look forward to meeting you all on Tuesday 1st of September when the course starts. We will meet in Loftet auditorium (Loftets hörsal) at 9.00 sharp (see map in link below). You will be registered to the course on this day after you respond to the roll call. Note that students of the ECM MSc programme are expected to attend an introduction session on the 31st of August. In the messages below you will find some basic information regarding: - Access to CANVAS, SLU's education online platform where you will find all course information and documents - Attendance and distance learning due to COVID-19 - Course schedule and literature list Please look at this information carefully and note that changes may occur once the course begins. This course page will be used only before the course starts. After we will only use CANVAS. You will get detailed information on how to use CANVAS on the first day of the course. For questions or comments about the course please contact camilo.calderon@slu.se. We look forward to meeting you all. Note: Please consider that until the first week of August it is summer holidays in Sweden so it might take us a while to respond
2020-07-23
Access to CANVAS - Course home page
CANVAS is the online course platform where you will find all course materials. To get access to Canvas, you need to follow these steps: - Go to the IT-service desk next to the Service Center in Ull’s hus to receive access information to your SLU log-in and your student e-mail address. (Opening hours: 8.00-16.00) Please have your ID documents and admission decision with you. If possible do this before the course starts. You can get your IT account by mid August the earliest. - Check your SLU email. You will find an invitation to the Introduction to Environmental Communication Canvas room. Accept the course invitation and click on the link to the Canvas room to access the room. Once you have accepted the course invitation, you can also access the Canvas room by logging into Canvas through the SLU student website in this link:
2020-07-23
Attendance and distance learning due to COVID-19
As of 15 June, 2020 teaching at SLU can take place on campus following the guidelines from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and SLU's own instructions related to the pandemic (see details in link below). All first-year courses will take place on campus. Second-year courses will be done online. This means that as a new student you are expected to attend this course in person. This is very important given the amount of group and practice-oriented work in the course. We understand that some of you might have delays with your travel. But the 14th of September (two weeks after the course starts) is the last day to attend in person and be able to register to the course. During these two weeks, we will try to make it possible for delayed students to attend lectures online. You might also need to do compensatory work for the activities that you miss. If you know that you will arrive late and will be able to do so before the 14th of September please write an email to camilo.calderon@slu.se before the course starts. Please indicate the date that you will arrive and if you will be able to attend online. If it won’t be possible for you to attend this year and you want to save your place in the course or programme, you may apply for deferment of studies. Your reasons will be evaluated by the admission office of SLU. Send your application to admissons@slu.se.
2020-07-23
Course Schedule
The course schedule can now be found in the Timetable tab below. Note that changes may occur once the course starts.
2020-07-23
Literature List
In the tab Literature List below you will find the literature list of the course. Note that changes in the literature list may occur. All reading will occur during allocated times in the course. However, we recommend students without a Social Science background to read some introductory texts in advance. The same goes for students without experience in Academic Writing. See Literature list for details.
Course evaluation
The course evaluation is now closed
MX0115-10233 - Course evaluation report
Once the evaluation is closed, the course coordinator and student representative have 1 month to draft their comments. The comments will be published in the evaluation report.
Additional course evaluations for MX0115
Academic year 2023/2024
2023-08-28 - 2023-10-30
Academic year 2022/2023
2022-08-29 - 2022-10-31
Academic year 2021/2022
2021-08-30 - 2021-11-01
Academic year 2019/2020
2019-09-02 - 2019-10-31
Academic year 2018/2019
2018-09-03 - 2018-11-11
Academic year 2017/2018
2017-08-28 - 2017-11-05
Academic year 2016/2017
2016-08-29 - 2016-11-06
Syllabus and other information
Syllabus
MX0115 Introduction to environmental communication - Society, social interaction and communicative skills, 15.0 Credits
Introduktionskurs till miljökommunikation-Samhälle , socialt samspel och kommunikativa färdigheterSubjects
Environmental Science Environmental scienceEducation cycle
Master’s levelModules
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Single module | 15.0 | 0201 |
Advanced study in the main field
Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirementsMaster’s level (A1N)
Grading scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Language
EnglishPrior knowledge
Knowledge equivalent to English 6 from upper secondary school.Equivalent to 180 credits and specialized studies comprising 90 credits within one of the following subjects/disciplinary domains: natural sciences, technology or social sciences.
Objectives
The aim of the course is to develop an understanding of environmental communication as a social process which is simultaneously dependent of, and affecting, society, and to develop basic skills in facilitating constructive dialogue in small groups with relevance for natural resource management. Both macro and micro sociological theories are needed in order to understand environmental communication and its’ relevance in society and natural resource management.
After the course is finished the student should be able to:
Describe theoretical approaches to understanding the relation between people and the environment.
Discuss the role of communication in the development and resolution of environmental challenges.
Describe methods for facilitating constructive dialogue.
Reflect on their own experience of communication situations.
Content
This course introduces students to sociological, social psychological and epistemological theories and concepts, among others to the theory of symbolic interactionism, which is used to understand human action in natural resource management. It also gives opportunities to develop practical skills in facilitating constructive dialogue in small groups.
Social and epistemological theories are presented in lectures and literature, and the students are in exercises facilitated to apply these theories in reflection and analysis of ongoing social processes, own experience and in case studies. The pedagogical idea of the course is pending between 1) observation of concrete environmental communication relevant situations, including both narrated case studies and own, immediate experience, which will generate a demand for theory, 2) presentation of theory, 3) analysis and interpretation of concrete cases through applying social science theories to the situation, 4) considering normative aspects of the situation (what could be changed and how to change), including structural changes as well as changes of individual action and thinking. Consequently there is a relation between lectures, literature and exercises. The students also carry out a small project connected to a situation/problem of relevance for environmental communication.
Grading form
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.Formats and requirements for examination
Examination through:
Home-exam
Report on project work
To pass the course it is compulsory to:
Participate in the project work
Participate in facilitation work-shops.
If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
For the examination of a degree project (independent project), the examiner may also allow the student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Other information
The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Responsible department
Department of Urban and Rural Development
Further information
Litterature list
- Literature List [Literature List] (https://slunik.slu.se/kursfiler/MX0115/10233.2021/EC_Intro_course_2020__Literature_list_WEB.pdf) Kommentar: Here you will find the literature list of the course. Note that changes in the literature list may occur. This does not apply to the course book. As you will see in the instructions, printed copies of the course book are availabe at the SLU library. Hence, it is not mandatory to buy the book. It is up to you. Most of the reading will occurr during allocated times in the course. However, note that there are suggested readings for students that do not have a social science background or are not familiar with social science theories which are worth reading in advance. We also suggest that you read about and practice academic writing if you have not done so during your previous studies. There are plenty of books, articles, blog posts or youtube videos that are useful for this.
For questions or comments please contact camilo.calderon@slu.se