Joint course between Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI)

Audience:

• HUJI: Students enrolled in the MA in International Development program, 1st semester
• FUB: Students enrolled in the MSc in Geographies of Global Inequalities program, 3rd semester (Module “Thematic Specialization”)

Instructors:
Dr. Shira Bukchin-Peles: shira.peles@mail.huji.ac.il
Office Hours: Mondays (in Jerusalem or via Zoom) and Wednesdays (via Zoom), available
by appointment.

Dr. Andrei Dörre: andrei.doerre@fu-berlin.de
Office Hours: Thursday, 14:00-15:00 CET. Please contact me by email to make an
appointment.

Overview
This course offers an exploration of Political Ecology, addressing environmental issues through a critical social theory lens. Students will engage with both digital and empirical learning methods to understand the social impacts of environmental change in concrete local settings, particularly on marginalized communities, and develop intercultural teamwork skills. The course is structured in four blocks:

1. The introductory block will cover origins, theoretical foundations, and classical and new perspectives of Political Ecology.
2. The second block is dedicated to the empirical application of the political-ecological approach.
3. The third block consists of site visits during which students observe the previously identified issues by applying a political-ecological perspective, analyze collected data, and develop preliminary findings.
4. The fourth block is dedicated to presenting and analyzing the findings from the site visits.

Learning outcomes

• Grasp key concepts and theories within Political Ecology.
• Analyze environmental issues with an emphasis on social contexts and marginalized groups.
• Apply theoretical knowledge in empirical settings through site visits and project work.
• Enhance skills in teamwork, international cooperation, and audiovisual communication.