Introduktionskurs till miljökommunikation - Att förstå och hantera miljöutmaningar ur ett kommunikationsperspektiv
Kursbeskrivning
Environmental communication plays a vital role in addressing today’s environmental and sustainability challenges. How we communicate about issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource use, and sustainable lifestyles—in everyday conversations, social media, or political debate—influences not only how we understand these issues, but also how we respond to them.
Through lectures, workshops, literature studies and group work, this course introduces social science perspectives for understanding environmental communication in a wide range of contexts, from everyday conversations and environmental campaigns to public policy and multi-stakeholder decision-making. You will explore communication not only as a way of sharing information, but also as a process that shapes knowledge, values, identities, and social change.
The course combines theory with hands-on learning. Through interactive workshops and collaborative group projects, you will develop practical skills in designing environmental communication artefacts and facilitating dialogue between people with different perspectives.
Please note: The course includes several mandatory on-campus activities (see Information from the Course Leader and the Course Schedule).
Behörighetskrav
Motsvarande 180 hp varav 90 hp i något ämne inom naturvetenskap, teknik eller samhällsvetenskap.
Kursfakta
- Kursnamn
- Introduktionskurs till miljökommunikation - Att förstå och hantera miljöutmaningar ur ett kommunikationsperspektiv
- Engelsk kursnamn
- Introduction to environmental communication - Understanding and addressing environmental challenges from a communication perspective
- Nivå
- Avancerad nivå (A1N)
- Huvudområde
- Miljövetenskap
- högskolepoäng
- 15.0 hp
- Studietakt
- 100 %
- Studieort
- Uppsala
- Undervisningsform
- Campusbaserad undervisning
- Anmälningskod
- SLU-10168
- Kurskod
- MX0168
- Kursspråk
- Engelska
- Ingår i utbildnings-program
-
EnvEuro - European Master in Environmental ScienceMiljökommunikation - masterprogram
- Ges som fristående kurs
- Ja
- Kursavgift
-
Kursavgift, endast för medborgare utanför EU, EES, och Schweiz
45010 SEK
Important: In the weeks leading up to the course, please check this tab regularly for updates and important information.
____________________________________________
2026-07-14
Welcome!
Welcome to the Introduction to Environmental Communication course! The course starts on Tuesday 1st of September at 9.00am (sharp) in Room Framtiden in the MVM Building. Address: Lennart Hjelms väg 9, 756 51 Uppsala (you will find the room on the first floor to your right).
On this day, you will meet the course teachers and your classmates and receive important practical information about the course. Attendance is essential, as you will also be officially registered for the course during this session.
Please read the information below 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 the SLU CANVAS platform. We will intruduce you to Canvas on the first session so if possible bring your laptop. Alternatively you can use the Canvas app on your phone (see below for more information on Canvas).
For questions about the course please contact the course leader camilo.calderon@slu.se
We look forward to meeting you all!
EC intro course teachers
____________________________________________
2026-07-14
Course schedule, attendance and mandatory sessions
The course schedule can now be found in the "Schedule in TimeEdit" link in this page. Note that small changes may occur once the course starts.
This is a full-time, on-campus course. With the exception of a few scheduled online sessions, all teaching takes place in person. Lectures are not recorded, and hybrid participation is not available.
You are experected to attend all sessions of the course. However, there are some mandatory activities linked to group project sessions, where your participation is essential. The sessions are marked as "Mandatory attendance" in the TimeEdit calendar. The mandatory attendance dates are 24, 25, 28, and 29 September; 2, 6, and 7 October; and 15, 16, 19, and 20 October. If you miss a mandatory activity you will be required to do a compensatory task. Missing more than three mandatory activities can result in failing the course.
On days without scheduled lectures, workshops, or other course activities, you are expected to work full-time on independent literature studies, group work, and assignments.
____________________________________________
2026-07-14
Course literature
In the "Reading List" tab below you will find the literature list of the course. This list comprises required readings for each course week. A detailed list including suplementary readings will be provided at the start of the course. Note that changes in the literature list may occur. All reading will occur during allocated times in the course. All literature will be available in the course CANVAS page. The course does not have a main course book that you need to buy.
____________________________________________
2026-07-15
Canvas platform and activating your SLU IT-Student account
CANVAS is the online course platform where you will find all course materials (read more about it here). You need to activate your SLU IT-student account to get access to Canvas (as well all other SLU´s digital tools including your student email). You can do this on campus or online from mid-August. Instructions are found in the "Activating your SLU student account" in the Checklist for new students page.
Once you activate the IT account you will get access to CANVAS platform. Right now we are setting up the course Canvas page so you will not be able to access it until we publish it. Our goal is to publish the page latest on the 28th of August. You will get detailed information on how to use CANVAS on the first day of the course. Still, we recommend that you try to familiarize yourself with Canvas (including the phone app for students) before the course starts. We also recommend that you upload a picture of yourself to your profile.
____________________________________________
2026-07-15
Important information for new programme students
Please note that additional activities are planned for new programme students, including orientation events and programme roll-calls.
Attendance at the programme roll-call on Monday, 31 August is compulsory for all newly admitted programme students. Exceptions are possible if a student has special reasons for not attending. Students who are unable to attend due to special reasons must notify the Admissions Office (admissions@slu.se) and their Programme Director of Studies as early as possible. Students admitted to the Environmental Communication and Management MSc programme should contact camilo.calderon@slu.se
On the New Student web page, you can find information about the start of the semester and where and when the roll-call for your programme will take place.
____________________________________________
2026-07-15
In case you want to know more about the ECM programme
If you are joining the Environmental Communication and Management (ECM) MSc programme and would like to get a feel for what it is like to study with us, I highly recommend reading the blog posts by Anam, who has just completed her first year in the programme and is also an SLU Student Ambassador.
A great place to start is her blog post about beginning student life in Sweden. As a Student Ambassador, Anam is also available to answer questions and chat with prospective and newly admitted students, so don't hesitate to get in touch with her if you would like to hear about the programme from a student's perspective.
I also encourage you to follow the Environmental Communication SLU page on LinkedIn. It is a great way to get to know the research conducted within the Division of Environmental Communication—the division responsible for the ECM programme and where most of your future teachers are based. Keep an eye on the newly launched hashtag #ECMStudentsInAction, where we share examples of activities, projects and other inspiring work carried out by our students throughout the programme. You can also follow the WECAN - Worldwide Environmental Comunication Alumn* Network page on LinkedIn focusing on connecting and organising activities for both former and current ECM students.
We look forward to welcoming you to the ECM community!
MX0168, Introduktionskurs till miljökommunikation - Att förstå och hantera miljöutmaningar ur ett kommunikationsperspektiv, 15.0 Hp
Skriv ut kursplan
Kursplan
Fastställd av: PN-NJ, 2024-11-15
Giltig från och med : Hösttermin 2025 (2025-09-01)
Nivå
Avancerad nivå (A1N)
Huvudområde
Miljövetenskap
Betygsskala
Kraven för kursens olika betygsgrader framgår av betygskriterier, som ska finnas tillgängliga senast vid kursstart.
Kursspråk
Engelska
Behörighetskrav
Motsvarande 180 hp varav 90 hp i något ämne inom naturvetenskap, teknik eller samhällsvetenskap.
Mål
Kursen syftar till att introducera studenter i miljökommunikation som ett interdisciplinärt forskningsområde och en praktik som är central för att förstå och bemöta nuvarande miljöutmaningar. Genom att använda en kombination av relevanta teoretiska perspektiv från samhällsvetenskap och humaniora utvecklar studenten en förståelse för miljökommunikation som ett ömsesidigt meningsskapande. Detta innefattar att gå utöver en förståelse för kommunikation som överföring av information och betonar betydelsen av social interaktion i skapandet av och diskussion om diskurser, kunskap, värderingar, normer och praktik som kan möjliggöra, men också begränsa social- och miljömässig förändring. Kursen inkluderar praktiskt baserade inslag utformade för att öka en sådan förståelse och att utveckla praktiska färdigheter för att analysera, producera och processleda kommunikation.
Efter avslutad kurs ska studenten kunna
- beskriva olika teoretiska perspektiv för att förstå miljökommunikation, inklusive teorier om social interaktion
- diskutera den roll miljökommunikation har för att forma olika perspektiv och gensvar till miljöutmaningar
- tillämpa olika teoretiska perspektiv för produktion och analys av miljökommunikationsartefakter
- tillämpa olika teoretiska perspektiv och ansatser för att leda dialog.
Innehåll
Ämnesmässigt innehåll
Denna kurs erbjuder en introduktion till miljökommunikation som ett interdisciplinärt forskningsfält och en praktik som anknyter till flera ämnesområden inom samhällsvetenskap och humaniora. Olika samhällsvetenskapliga perspektiv används för att förstå miljökommunikation som ömsesidigt meningsskapande i samhället, som sker t.ex. i vardagliga samtal, i miljökampanjer och politik eller vid beslutsfattande med flera intressenter. Kursen betonar betydelsen av att förstå miljökommunikation från både instrumentella och konstitutiva perspektiv för att kunna förstå dess roll i hantering av miljöutmaningar och hur de uppfattas. Genom att kombinera dessa perspektiv breddar kursen den traditionella bilden av miljökommunikation som överföring av expertkunskap och information. Kursen betonar även rollen som olika kommunikationsformer och interaktion spelar i skapande och förändring av kunskap, värderingar, normer och praktik som tillsammans utför dagens hållbarhets- och miljöutmaningar. Den lyfter även fram motstånd, konflikter och maktrelationer som betydelsefulla för kommunikation och meningsskapande.
I kursen ingår praktiskt baserade komponenter som fördjupar studenternas förståelse för teoretiska perspektiv, samtidigt som de utvecklar analytiska och praktiska färdigheter. Detta innefattar interaktiv och tvärvetenskapligt grupparbete för att producera och analysera olika sorters miljökommunikationsartefakter och övning i processledning av dialogprocesser om olika perspektiv. Den tvärvetenskapliga sammansättningen av studentgrupper spelar en central roll i dessa aktiviteter och skapar erfarenheter som simulerar kommunikationsprocesser där olika perspektiv och kompetenser möts, utmanar varandra och potentiellt utvecklas.
Genomförande
Kursen utnyttjar olika undervisningsformer för att främja studenternas lärande och diskussioner genom föreläsningar, litteraturstudier, (inlämnings) uppgifter, projektarbete, workshops, seminarier, färdighetstränande moment, redovisningar.
Kursen fokuserar på följande generella kompetenser:
Kritiskt tänkande, problemlösning, muntlig kommunikation, skriftlig kommunikation, samarbete, självständighet, tidsplanering/hantera tidsramar.
Följande moment är obligatoriska:
Se kursschemat.
Examinationsformer
- Godkända skriftliga eller muntliga tentamina - Aktivt deltagande i obligatoriska aktiviteter - Aktivt deltagande i projektarbete För mer information, se kursschemat.
Ansvarig institution eller motsvarande
Institutionen för stad och land
Kompletterande uppgifter
Ingår i utbildnings-program
- EnvEuro - European Master in Environmental Science
- Miljökommunikation - masterprogram
Moduluppsättning
| Benämning | Hp | Kod |
|---|---|---|
| Halvtidstentamen | 5.0 | 0001 |
| Sluttentamen | 10.0 | 0002 |
Kursen ersätter
MX0068, MX0066, MX0072, MX0100, MX0115
Required Readings (RR)
Note: The course literature also includes additional texts that are not listed here. These are supplementary or suggested readings for students who want to read more about the course topics. PDFs of all Required Readings will be available at the start of the course. The course does not have a main course book that you have to buy.
- Hite, K. A., & Seitz, J. L. (2016). Global issues: an introduction (5th edition). John Wiley & Sons. Oxford.
Depending on your literature group one of the following:
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6 – Subsections: Awakening, Land, Extinction of species, Extinction of cultures
Chapter 6 – Subsections: Awakening, Air, Water
Chapter 7
\
- Rödl, M., Mutter, A., Fischer, A., Calderón, C. & Hallgren, L. (forthcoming). Environmental Communication - A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: The Role of Ideas in Environmental Communication
Chapter 3: Environmental communication as symbolic interaction
\
- Pezzullo, P., Cox, R. (2018). Environmental communication and the public sphere. 5th edition. Sage publications: Washington DC.
Chapter 1: Defining Environmental Communication
\
- Milstein, T. (2009). Environmental Communication Theories. In: A. Foss, K. & Littlejohn.W, S. (eds.) Encyclopedia of communication theory. Thousand Oaks California US: SAGE Publications, Inc. 344–349.
- Fischer, A., Joosse, S., Hallgren, L., & Westberg, L. (2024). How research on communication can help to understand the management of natural resources and sustainability transformations: practices, concerns and new perspectives on environmental communication. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 67(9), 1871–1885. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2024.2345737
- Ngozi-Adichie, C. (2009). *Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story | TED ***[video] **https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg&t=1s&ab_channel=TED
- Buijs, A., Hovardas, T., Figari, H., Castro, P., Devine-Wright, P., Fischer, A., Mouro, C. & Selge, S. (2012). Understanding People’s Ideas on Natural Resource Management: Research on Social Representations of Nature. Society & Natural Resources, 25 (11), 1167–1181. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2012.670369
- Höijer, B. (2011). Social Representations Theory. Nordicom Review, 32 (2), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0109
- Rogers, R.A. (2008). Beasts, Burgers, and Hummers: Meat and the Crisis of Masculinity in Contemporary Television Advertisements. Environmental Communication, 2 (3), 281–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524030802390250
- Hathaway, J.R. (2020). Climate Change, the Intersectional Imperative, and the Opportunity of the Green New Deal. Environmental Communication, 14 (1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2019.1629977
- MacGregor, S. (2017). Routledge handbook of gender and environment. London; New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Introduction: Gender and Environment: An Introduction, pp. 1 – 6
\
- Joas, H. & Knöbl, W. (2009*). Social Theory: Twenty Introductory Lectures*. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chapter 6: Interpretive approaches (1): symbolic interactionism, pp. 123 – 149.
\
- Innes, J. and Booher, D. (2016). Collaborative rationality as a strategy for working with wicked problems. Landscape and Urban Planning, 154**, **pp. 8-10.
- Reed, M. S. (2008). Stakeholder participation for environmental management: A literature review. Biological Conservation, 141, pp. 2417-2431.
- Connelly, S. & Richardson, T. (2004). Exclusion: the necessary difference between ideal and practical consensus. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 47 (1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/0964056042000189772
- Brulle, R.J. (2010). From Environmental Campaigns to Advancing the Public Dialog: Environmental Communication for Civic Engagement. Environmental Communication, 4 (1), 82–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524030903522397
- Sprain, L., van Over, B. & Morgan, E.L. (2016). Divergent meanings of community. In: Peterson, T.R., Ljunggren Bergeå, H., Feldpausch-Parker, A.M., & Raitio, K. (eds) Environmental Communication and Community: Constructive and destructive dynamics of social transformation. London: Routledge. 249–265.
- Moore, A. (2012) Following from the front: theorizing deliberative facilitation. Critical Policy Studies 6(2): 146–162.
- Ozawa CP, Shmueli DF & Kaufman S (2017) Process design decisions in community-based collaboration: implications for implementation and collateral social benefits. Planning Theory & Practice 18(3): 407–427.
- Westin, M. (2019) Rethinking power in participatory planning: towards reflective practice. Dissertation. SLU, Uppsala.
Pages 11-12.
\
- Hunjan, R. & Pettit, J. (2011). Power: A Practical Guide for Facilitating Social Change. (Democracy and Civil Society Programme). Dunfermline, UK: Carnegie United Kingdom Trust. https://www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/publications/power-a-practical-guide-for-facilitating-social-change/
- Westin, M., Calderon, C. & Hellquist, A. (2014). The Inquiry Based Approach -A facilitator´s handbook. Stockholm: Elanders.
Chapter 5: How to be a facilitator, pp. 24-35
läsår 2025/2026
Introduktionskurs till miljökommunikation - Att förstå och hantera miljöutmaningar ur ett kommunikationsperspektiv (MX0168-10205)
2025-10-26 - 2025-11-16
Kontakt
- Kursledare
- Camilo Calderon Arcila
- Examinator
- Camilo Calderon Arcila