Last modified: 16 Jul 2025 11:46
In a time of environmental catastrophe, how can the arts help us make sense of the world around us? This course introduces students to the field of Environmental Humanities, and to ways the arts can help us reflect on and understand current ecological changes and imagine a more sustainable future. Looking at a wide selection of literature, film, music, and visual arts from a variety of cultural and historical perspectives, students will learn about key questions in the study of arts and the environment. This course is strongly recommended for students registered for any degree across any discipline.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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One or more of these courses have a limited number of places. Priority access will be given to students for whom this course is compulsory. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions for more details on this process.
We live in a time not simply of climate change but, in Margaret Atwood’s words, ‘everything change’. The three pillars of sustainability – economic, social, and biophysical – are often discussed as being distant from the spheres of arts and culture. In an age of ecological crisis, however, the arts have a greater role to play than ever. Arts can inform, entertain, and change the perspectives of their audiences; they can reshape the ways we make sense of our experience. Looking at a wide range of material from different cultures and different media, including literature, film, music, visual arts, and architecture, students will learn new approaches to the relation between the arts and the material world. Students will learn about the relation between humans and non-human others, the link between decarbonisation and decolonisation, and how different artistic practices can lead to improved sustainability. The course is an excellent introduction to interdisciplinary work, and is structured to be as diverse and inclusive as possible. Students will have the opportunity to develop critical, creative, and practical responses to the work they encounter, including individual and group projects focused on community engagement and activism.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 35 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 14 | Feedback Weeks | 17 | |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided in writing |
Word Count | 1000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Analyse and compare different approaches to environmental crisis |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Factual | Understand | Acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between sustainability and the arts in a variety of cultural contexts |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 55 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 23 | |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided in writing. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Analyse and compare different approaches to environmental crisis |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Procedural | Apply | Apply insights from the course to creative and practical work |
| Procedural | Create | Communicate to audiences from multiple disciplines and backgrounds |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | 22 | ||
| Feedback |
Feedback will provided orally and in writing. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Factual | Understand | Acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between sustainability and the arts in a variety of cultural contexts |
| Procedural | Create | Communicate to audiences from multiple disciplines and backgrounds |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 50 | Feedback Weeks | ||
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided in writing |
Word Count | 1500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Apply | Apply insights from the course to creative and practical work |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Analyse and compare different approaches to environmental crisis |
| Procedural | Create | Communicate to audiences from multiple disciplines and backgrounds |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Factual | Understand | Acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between sustainability and the arts in a variety of cultural contexts |
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