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You might think that nature and politics do not have much to do with each other. Maybe you consider nature to be a place of refuge from the human world of politics or a topic of study for scientists, such as botanists or zoologists, rather than social scientists. This module aims to show you that nature and politics are totally intertwined. This is the case in two ways. First, the natural world has been shaped and governed by human action for thousands of years. Second, humans themselves are part of nature, always being shaped, changed, limited and enabled by the non-human (or more-than human?) world. Since all human action and the intimate entanglements between the human and non-human world are suffused with power relations, they are, by definition, deeply involved in politics.

This module will delve deeper into the implications of thinking about nature through a political lens. We will ask questions about how the natural world is shaped by politics and how politics is shaped by the non-humans.

You will be introduced to ideas about the ways the natural world relates to nationalism, colonialism, power, violence, belonging, spirituality, ethics, care, time, food, and embodiment. We will think about the way that nature is gendered and racialised and whether nature is queer. We will ask how policy-makers think about nature and what sorts of political choices are possible or thinkable. We will look at who gets to take solace and enjoyment from nature and who is excluded from or threatened by the natural world and how. We will also consider how nature is implicated in the construction of relationships, communities and hierarchies.

Throughout the module we will do our best to spend time outdoors. We will not think about nature as something ‘out there’ away from London, but rather as part of our everyday lives in the capital city. We will notice our encounters with non-human nature and relate our everyday experiences, emotions and relationships to the readings and other learning resources from the module.

The module will be delivered through weekly seminars as well as object-based learning and trips to outdoor spaces in class time. Alongside this, there will be approximately 2 hours per week hours of tutor-led e-learning. Alongside the final written assessment, you will be expected to engage in e-learning activities and to write a weekly reflective response linking the module materials to your own relationship with the natural world.

You can read what some of last year's students thougth about the module here: https://padlet.com/elliottkacenka/b2bdeiaeufijrlwa