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PNS0193
Environmental communication
In this course, participants will engage with four of the above-mentioned principles in greater depth. Each of these will be covered by one day of the core week of the course (week 3).
Day 1 examines the role of communication as understood in the participants’ research, looking at both instrumental and constitutive concepts of communication, and the implications for our research.
Day 2 will explore the participants’ research from an ‘agency vs. structure’ perspective, reflecting on their analytical vantage point, ‘unit of analysis’, and the theoretical implications connected to their choice of perspective.
Day 3 challenges the participants to reflect on their role as researchers – on a spectrum from ‘objective observer’ to ‘activist’.
Day 4 explores the role of ‘power’ as a construct in communication research.
Throughout the course, participants will also discuss implications of their perspectives for their choice of methods, and the question what might make environmental communication different from other types of communication (e.g., health or science communication).
The core week of the course will be preceded by two weeks of preparatory reading (following a reading list, 40 hours). Each day will consist of a mix of lectures, discussions, workshops and reflective writing exercises in which the participants explore how they position their work on a given spectrum, what the implications of different standpoints are (what are the assumptions, and what are the consequences of taking this perspective?) and what this means for sustainability transformations – what can be learnt from these different perspectives, and who can use these insights and how? Each participant is requested to write an essay (which can form the basis of a section in their PhD thesis) that situates their own research in the context of the four dimensions addressed in the course (see above) that are relevant for their work, and identifies the (potential) contributions of their research to the wider academic debate. Course teachers as well as fellow participants will provide feedback on the draft essays, and these comments can then be used to further improve the text
Day 1 examines the role of communication as understood in the participants’ research, looking at both instrumental and constitutive concepts of communication, and the implications for our research.
Day 2 will explore the participants’ research from an ‘agency vs. structure’ perspective, reflecting on their analytical vantage point, ‘unit of analysis’, and the theoretical implications connected to their choice of perspective.
Day 3 challenges the participants to reflect on their role as researchers – on a spectrum from ‘objective observer’ to ‘activist’.
Day 4 explores the role of ‘power’ as a construct in communication research.
Throughout the course, participants will also discuss implications of their perspectives for their choice of methods, and the question what might make environmental communication different from other types of communication (e.g., health or science communication).
The core week of the course will be preceded by two weeks of preparatory reading (following a reading list, 40 hours). Each day will consist of a mix of lectures, discussions, workshops and reflective writing exercises in which the participants explore how they position their work on a given spectrum, what the implications of different standpoints are (what are the assumptions, and what are the consequences of taking this perspective?) and what this means for sustainability transformations – what can be learnt from these different perspectives, and who can use these insights and how? Each participant is requested to write an essay (which can form the basis of a section in their PhD thesis) that situates their own research in the context of the four dimensions addressed in the course (see above) that are relevant for their work, and identifies the (potential) contributions of their research to the wider academic debate. Course teachers as well as fellow participants will provide feedback on the draft essays, and these comments can then be used to further improve the text
Syllabus and other information
Syllabus
PNS0193 Environmental communication, 5.0 Credits
Subjects
Environmental Assesment,Landscape Architecture,Landscape Planning,Other Social Science,Rural Development, Environmental CommunicationEducation cycle
Postgraduate levelGrading scale
Pass / Failed
Prior knowledge
The course is open to all PhD students working in the social sciences, humanities and environmental sciences.Objectives
In this course, environmental communication is understood as the social negotiation of knowledge, values, emotions and embodied experiences related to environmental and sustainability issues. The following five principles underpin this concept of environmental communication: - Understanding communication as multimodal and multilateral practices rather than as linear diffusion of (expert) knowledge - Considering both the instrumental and constitutive aspects of communication – this implies that environmental communication can take place with (e.g., through information campaigns) and without a purpose (e.g., over a coffee among friends and family) - Complementing sustainability transformation approaches that target individuals with approaches that foreground the social practices and structures that produce environmental problems - Understanding environmental communication as a field of discursive struggle, and sustainability as an inherently contested concept - Taking account the role of power and conflict in knowledge production and communication processes, rather than viewing knowledge as neutral or objective. Course participants are encouraged to unpack these principles, and explore and situate their own research in relation to these. While the framing of the course refers to environmental communication, the exploration and critical discussion of the above-mentioned principles will be of great relevance also to PhD candidates in related fields of e.g. environmental governance, rural development or landscape planning. The overarching aim of the course is thus to; (a) highlight diversity in environmental communication and related research, (b) promote discussion (and agonistic pluralism) between people addressing aspects of the above-mentioned principles from different standpoints and (c) support the participating PhD students in situating themselves in the spaces of inquiry delineated by these principles, and to reflect on their perspectives and contribution to academic and applied debates in environmental communication. Upon completion of the course, the PhD students shall be able to: - critically discuss aspects of their research in relation to the suggested underpinning principles of environmental communication - apply the concepts and considerations covered in the course (related to the underpinning principles) to their own and other scholars’ research - identify, describe and critically reflect on the contribution of their work to current academic debates in environmental communication and related research.Content
In this course, participants will engage with four of the above-mentioned principles in greater depth. Each of these will be covered by one day of the core week of the course (week 3). Day 1 examines the role of communication as understood in the participants’ research, looking at both instrumental and constitutive concepts of communication, and the implications for our research. Day 2 will explore the participants’ research from an ‘agency vs. structure’ perspective, reflecting on their analytical vantage point, ‘unit of analysis’, and the theoretical implications connected to their choice of perspective. Day 3 challenges the participants to reflect on their role as researchers – on a spectrum from ‘objective observer’ to ‘activist’. Day 4 explores the role of ‘power’ as a construct in communication research. Throughout the course, participants will also discuss implications of their perspectives for their choice of methods, and the question what might make environmental communication different from other types of communication (e.g., health or science communication). The core week of the course will be preceded by two weeks of preparatory reading (following a reading list, 40 hours). Each day will consist of a mix of lectures, discussions, workshops and reflective writing exercises in which the participants explore how they position their work on a given spectrum, what the implications of different standpoints are (what are the assumptions, and what are the consequences of taking this perspective?) and what this means for sustainability transformations – what can be learnt from these different perspectives, and who can use these insights and how? Each participant is requested to write an essay (which can form the basis of a section in their PhD thesis) that situates their own research in the context of the four dimensions addressed in the course (see above) that are relevant for their work, and identifies the (potential) contributions of their research to the wider academic debate. Course teachers as well as fellow participants will provide feedback on the draft essays, and these comments can then be used to further improve the textAdditional information
Participating teachers:- Lotten Westberg
- Lars Hallgren
- Ann Grubbström
- Sofie Joosse
- Anke Fischer
Time table:
- Week 1-2: reading assignments (self-study) and submission of PhD project abstracts - 40 hours
- Week 3: interactive exercises, seminars and workshops - 40 hours (4-8 May 2020, leaving Wednesday free for participation in the SOL department day)
- Week 4-6: writing of reflective essay and feedback sessions (approx. 2000-4000 words) - 40 hours altogether
The course is given as part of the post-graduate research school ‘Society and Landscape’ at the Department of Urban and Rural Development at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Responsible department
Department of Urban and Rural Development