SPCM 418/518: Environmental Communication

Although I've had the opportunity to teach many great classes, SPCM 418/518: Environmental Communication has a special place in my heart.

I grew up with a love of animals and access to a lot of outdoor activities, so my interest in the environment has deep roots, and I decided to get my Ph.D. expressly to study environmental communication. Being able to teach the subject and share my love of nature is like a dream come true.

As a general field, environmental communication explores how people represent the environment through communication and how those representations impact our ability to respond to environmental signals. With so many major environmental issues facing us today, environmental communication is particularly important.

I teach the class from a critical-rhetoric perspective, focusing on the relationship between humans and nature. Special emphasis will be placed on using communication to expand understanding of the environment and challenge abuses of power that marginalize nature and threaten environmental and human health.

We'll explore the different ideologies that influence how we see and respond to the environment, and we'll look at a variety of environmental topics, including media representations of the environment, science communication, and environmental campaigns. Some of the many environmental issues we'll address include global warming, fracking, using animals for entertainment, pesticides, and greenwashing.

We'll watch several interesting, award-winning films. These include A Fierce Green Fire, Gasland, Blackfish, and Queen of the Sun.

The class will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 11-11:50 a.m., in fall 2017. It is open to both undergraduates and graduate students. Join us in discussing this important and fascinating topic.