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WiSe 20/21: How to talk and write about nature and the environment

Susanne Scharnowski

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Subject: Many of the concerns and challenges of the 21st century are related to nature and the environment: Climate change, various forms of pollution, biodiversity, deforestation, soil fertility …. Especially climate change is a huge topic in political debates. But when we communicate about nature and the environment, the gap between what C.P. Snow described as the ‘two cultures’, with science & technology on the one hand, arts & humanities on the other hand, can have problematic consequences. Not only for political reasons, it is highly relevant how we “frame” the environment in our speech, as George Lakoff put it. Some of the central questions in this context concern the emotionality of language: What difference does it make when Greta Thunberg says “I want you to panic”, compared to the ostensibly neutral and rational technocratic discourse that is dominant in political speech? Should texts and films about nature and the environment highlight the wonders and beauty of nature and elicit feelings of awe and wonder, should they focus on polluted beaches, dying trees and species on the verge of distinction, prompting feelings of sadness, anger, or even guilt, or should they simply give factual, science-based accounts? And how do we react to the various forms of representation? Program: As the first session won’t take place in the classroom, make sure to check your e-mail (zedat) before November 4th: You will receive relevant information by mail. This course will serve as an introduction to the field of ‘environmental communication’: What does it entail, what should it achieve, who are the intended recipients, and what is the intended outcome? We will study some theoretical texts, outlining the main problems and challenges. Then we will study extracts from classics such as Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and different kinds of texts: nature and science writing, eco-fiction, and texts from the field of environmental politics. We will analyse how they operate, what they aim to accomplish and whether they succeed. Is this course right for you? The course is open to students from all fields, from the sciences as well as from the humanities. However, you should be able to read English texts at a fairly high level, be prepared to study a wide variety of theoretical as well as literary and journalistic texts, and be interested in environmental matters as well as textual and discourse analysis. Workload and Assessment: In order to obtain 5 ECTS credits, you will have to study the course materials (an average of 15-20 pages per week), engage with them in various forms, and submit written work at the end of the semester (a textual analysis of one or more of the course materials in the context of environmentalism, 2000 words, submission date: February 20th). close