GENED 1174: Life and Death in the Anthropocene

What does it mean for us --both as a society and as individuals -- to live in a world radically remade by the human hand?

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Course goals:

In this course we will move through definitions, understandings, and critiques of the concept of the Anthropocene. By the end of the semester, you will be able to articulate varied definitions of “Anthropocene,” and have an answer to the question: “Is the Anthropocene about the past, the present, or the future?” You will understand why scientists strive to keep the term narrowly focused, while humanists, artists, and activists push for a more capacious conversation. You will consider how topics that are defined as “scientific” or “technical” often have cultural, political, economic, and ethical dimensions, and in many cases the latter become constitutive of the problem. And we will examine proposed solutions for addressing anthropogenic environmental damage, from geoengineering to de-growth, and discuss how and why any particular solution might be considered “unrealistic,” “unethical,” or “undesirable” by its opponents.

In course discussions and in the final project, we will focus on the personal dimension: not just what the Anthropocene is in a technical or scientific sense, but what it means for both humans and non-human life forms to live and die in the Anthropocene.

Course format:

We will meet three times weekly: twice a week in our designated course time and once a week in smaller discussion sections (starting in the third week, times TBD). Classes will include both lecture and discussion formats. Course materials and assigned readings are detailed below (pg. 5) and on the course Canvas site. There will also be guest lectures by prominent individuals (ex: scientists, scholars, artists, activists, etc.) discussing various aspects of the Anthropocene and their work in relation to it. We will have two scheduled film viewings outside of regular class time, Snowpiercer and Don’t Look Up. They are not optional and can be used as sources in response papers and exams. Film viewings will be arranged in-person, but students are also permitted to watch films on their own. Details regarding film viewings, as well as guest lecturers, are pending and subject to change.

Typical enrollees:

There is no “typical” enrollee for this course.  Any student interested in climate change, biodiversity loss, global inequity and / or understanding and addressing the true costs of capitalism, should take this course.

When is course typically offered?

The course is typically offered in the Fall

What can students expect from you as an instructor?

Professor Oreskes is well known as a dynamic and passionate instructor, who has been teaching for four decades and invited to speak across the globe.  The teaching team will ensure that every student has the opportunity to be engaged with the course materials and get the support they need.  That said, this course is not a “gut.” Barring illness, injury, or death in the family, students will be expected to attend class lectures and sections, to do the assigned reading, and complete assignments on time.

We invite you to view some of Professor Oreskes' previously recorded speaking engagements and conversations on this topic, the History of Science, and her work more broadly:

"Is climate change the end? And if so, the end of what?" Case Western University, 2019

Assignments and grading:

Attendance and Participation (20%): You are expected to attend all course meetings and weekly discussion sections (lectures will be recorded, and available to you if you are ill or otherwise unable to attend). You are expected to come to class having read the assigned material for that day and to have your materials accessible during class in either paper or electronic format.  You are also expected to meaningfully and respectfully engage in class discussions. Participation includes both speaking and listening. As attendance is required in all Gen Ed courses, Gen Ed courses are not eligible for course-wide simultaneous enrollment waivers. Students pursuing simultaneous enrollment in a Gen Ed course and a non-Gen Ed course must attend the Gen Ed course.

Weekly Discussion Posts (25%) Each week you will be asked to post on a class discussion board, details TBD.

One short response paper (15%). In week three, you will write a reading response paper on science, grief, and philosophical approaches to Anthropogenic loss (This will give you the opportunity to receive early feedback and better understand the expectations for the rest of the semester).

Two exams: Mid-term and Final (20% each). The mid-term will be an essay-style take-home exam, and will take one hour. The final exam will be open-book, essay-style, in class in this course’s scheduled final exam period.

Final Project (20%) We will have a final project, that could take the form of a traditional research paper, but could also take the form of a memoir, diary, work of art, social engagement project, or other nonconventional work, organized around the course theme of what it means to live and die in the Anthropocene.

Past syllabus:

Course Syllabus from Fall 2022

Absence and late work policies:

Late Assignments

Late assignments follow the “Rule of D’s”: I do not accept late assignments, except in the case of illness, death in the family, or personal crisis accompanied by a verifying letter from a doctor, dean, or divine (priest, rabbi, imam...) Grade disputes: Any student who feels a paper or exam has been unfairly graded is welcome to request a re-grade. However, any re-grade will involve the entire paper—not just the disputed question—which means the outcome may be higher or lower than the original.

Academic Integrity

My philosophy of academic integrity is simple: DON’T CHEAT!

However, sometimes students may be confused about what constitutes cheating. So that there is no ambiguity: No cheating means that all work that you present as your own must be your own, and discussions that rely on other sources must clearly cite those sources.

Harvard University has provided an extensive discussion of Academic integrity at: https://handbook.fas.harvard.edu/book/academic-integrity. I encourage you to follow this guidance.

A specific topic that sometimes creates confusion is the re-use of your own materials. You may not submit for credit work that has already been submitted for credit in another course.  Nor may you use the same materials for two (or more) different courses, without explicit approval of the instructors involved. However, you may revisit themes that you have visited before, and in some cases reuse materials, with appropriate self-citations.  If you are unsure of the boundary between acceptable and unacceptable re-use of materials, please ask an instructor. When in doubt, ask!

My personal views on AI align with this essay:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/29/ai-student-policy-chatgpt-college/

Harvard College Honor Code: Members of the Harvard College community commit themselves to producing academic work of integrity – that is, work that adheres to the scholarly and intellectual standards of accurate attribution of sources, appropriate collection and use of data, and transparent acknowledgement and appreciation of the contribution of others to their ideas, discoveries, interpretations, and conclusions. Cheating on exams or problem sets, plagiarizing or misrepresenting the ideas or language of someone else as one’s own, falsifying data, or any other instance of academic dishonesty violates the standards of our community, as well as the standards of the wider world of learning and affairs.  Some topics that require clarification:

Collaboration: You are welcome and encouraged to discuss the readings and your ideas about them with any one you like, but when you sit down to write, or take an exam your words must be your own.

Citing Sources: Materials borrowed, paraphrased, or quoted from other sources must be identified as such. If you have questions about this, the responsibility is on you to request clarification in advance of submitting any homework, paper, or exam. Harvard provides guidance on this here: https://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu/.

Please note that I follow what I call the academic integrity corollary to the 9^th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: “The enumeration by me, the University, or any other authority of certain forms of dishonesty shall not be construed to deny or disparage others that a commonsense interpretation of the word ‘dishonest’ would imply.” If something seems dishonest, it probably is. If something seems questionable, ask a question.  Academic standards are not necessarily the same as business, media, or artistic standards. If you are unsure about our standards, please ask for guidance.

Accommodations

Any student needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to present their letter from the Accessible Education Office (AEO) and speak with the professor by the end of the second week of the term. Failure to do so may result in the course head's inability to respond in a timely manner. All discussions will remain confidential, although AEO may be consulted to discuss appropriate implementation.