Environment and Citizenship

Environmental citizenship is an idea whose time has come. Governments around the world are recognizing environmental rights, activists refer to our duties to the environment, corporations present themselves as good environmental citizens, children are taught to be mindful of their ecological footprint, the media tell us repeatedly to reduce, reuse and recycle, and scholars have begun to consider all this under a new field of study called environmental citizenship. This course explores the many ways in which environmental concerns are reshaping our understanding of citizenship as well as how the language of citizenship (e.g. rights and duties) is shaping environmental politics and policies. The course is structured into two parts. The first part introduces students to the concept and theories of citizenship, exploring the impact of environmental concerns on formulations of citizenship, both traditional ones (e.g. national, liberal and republican) and emerging ones (e.g. cosmopolitan, ecological and ecofeminist). This part also explores the making of green citizens, and outlines the dominant articulations of environmental citizenship that emerge from formal education, news media and popular culture. The second part explores the practical manifestations of environmental citizenship, with specific attention to three major political actors: citizens, governments, and corporations. The content includes references to case studies from a wide range of countries, both from the Global North and the Global South. The course is designed to appeal to students interested in and concerned with issues of environmental sustainability, social justice and citizenship in the 21st century.