Sustainability and Social Justice (POL2257.01)

John Hultgren

This course will explore how different social movements have incorporated principles of ecological sustainability and social justice into their activism. We will examine how environmentalists (mainstream and radical), environmental justice organizers, indigenous rights activists, feminists, immigrants’ rights activists, anti-immigrant groups, religious organizations, conservatives and labor unions have conceptualized and fought for sustainability and justice. We will then critically reflect on the similarities and differences between these various attempts to articulate connections between the ecological and the social. By the end of the course, you will have a strong understanding of the opportunities and barriers that exist in efforts to build the alliances necessary for the (re)construction of societies that are both ecologically sustainable and socially just.


Learning Outcomes:
-practice close reading of difficult scholarly texts
-reflect on the linkages between theory and practice
-consider how core concepts like sustainability and justice are conceptualized and operationalized by different actors


Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Course Level: 2000-level
Credits: 4
M/Th 10:00AM - 11:50AM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 20
Course Frequency: Every 2-3 years

Categories: 2000 , All courses , Environment , Four Credit , Fully In-Person , Politics
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