Ecocriticism for the End Times · Anthropology
DIfferent ways of understanding ecology and humans.
The relationship between humans and nature and beyond.
A lot about ecocriticism as a genre and a study (what role fiction and art play in generating conversation around ecological issues), as well as broader ecological issues, eco-Buddhism, the nuclear, the history of the environmental movement, read some ecological ethnographies, also read some Slavoj Žižek
Field of eco-criticism, eco-critical thinkers, philosophers. Definitions of terms, how nature and wilderness are conceptualized and constructed. Writing short critical response essays to authors read for class.
I learned new perspectives in this course which is about a really interesting topic. I didn't know anything about ecocriticisms before I joined, but I felt like I learned a lot from Ivy.
I learned quite a deal about ecocritical approaches where I previously had a limited foundation on the topic.
The students were all very engaged but the environment seemed competitive to participate. There was no clarity on how we were graded so students felt obligated to talk even if they didn't have meaningful insight. There was a lot of tension in the room because no one knew how they were doing. The material is fascinating and the professor is so passionate, but created a high-pressure classroom.
I would recommend this course if it was taught by a different professor. It was really great material and super interesting, and I came to class eager to discuss it. However, by often being interrupted by the professor, not able to respond directly to peers, and having the professor take up much of the discussion, I left the classes feeling frustrated and upset.
If you are ok doing lots of reading/work definitely! It feels like an important class for my overall scholarship and worldview overall. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2022 Course: ANTHUN3888_001_2022_3-ECOCRITICISMFORTHEENDTIMES : ANTHUN3888_001_2022_3 - ECOCRITICISM FOR THE END TIMES Instructor: Marilyn Ivy
An intro to ecocriticism, or literary criticism in the the environmental humanities. Highlights were some of the novels we read, the nuclear unit, eco-buddhism e.t.c