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Has green politics come of age? Around the world we are seeing spontaneous community movements challenging four difficult and intersecting issues: dangerous environmental change, growing social inequality, weak democracy and a paradigm of growth that has contributed to resource extraction beyond the capacity of the planet. Against a background of difficult issues including climate change and the impact of colonization, this course examines the roots of environmental thinking and activism and asks- what are the implications of these ideas for how we live as citizens, communities, businesses and nations and how might we plan for just transitions towards a more equitable and sustainable future? The course involves a weekend field trip.
Has green politics come of age? Around the world from Tunisia to New York, in school strikes, Extinction Rebellions and Indigenous movements we’ve seen environmental protest movements challenging four difficult and intersecting sustainability problems: dangerous environmental change, growing social inequality, weakening democracy and a paradigm of growth that has contributed to skyrocketing youth unemployment and resource extraction beyond the capacity of the planet (Jackson, 2009; Hansen 2009; Rockstrom et al 2009, Wilkenson and Pickett, 2009; Hayward 2021).
The pedagogies that drive this course are Paulo Freire’s philosophy of “critical hope” and liberation education”. Students are encouraged to see themselves as citizens who can effect change, to think about their situation and others’, and to read key texts in more depth, to spark deeper reflection (Friere 1973/2014, Barry 2018).Students are also given the opportunity to apply their reading and reflection to a real world case study; in 2024 the group project is a conference presentation and drafting of policy solutions for considering the rights of Future Generations and Intersectional justice issues which will be presented orally at a required conference day 5 October. This process encourages you to collaborate, argue a case, research and draft solutions and as individuals think about the potential and possibilities for a greener, socially just future. This is not just a lecture series, it’s a course I hope that raises questions for you over time. I request you come prepared to contribute actively to class, to read and listen to a range of views that may differ significantly from your own –there is no point in studying merely to reinforce our prejudices and views, the purpose of effective, higher education is new, richer insight into collective problems.At the end of this course a successful outcome will be that: Students will understand and can critically reflect on evaluate environmental concepts & apply this knowledge to original analysis of issues confronting New Zealand and solutions. Students will become aware of and understand the nature of bi-culturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand and its relevance to debates about green political development. Introduction to issues influencing development of Māori representation, institutional representation and tikanga in environmental protection and management and policy debate. Students will have observed and understood diverse community cultures and implications of inclusive policy making by reflecting on experiences of diversity within community and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts. Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions of environmental change.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, orany 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, orLAWS, GEOG, orthe Schedule V of the BCom.
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Bronwyn Hayward
MacArthur, Julie L. , Bargh, Maria; Environmental Politics and Policy in Aotearoa New Zealand ; Auckland University Press, 2022.
Hayward, B; Children, citizenship and environment ; #SchoolStrike edition; Routledge London, 2021 (Explores many of the ideas in the course, and is available in the library or bookshop).
Domestic fee $1,909.00
International fee $8,122.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .