NR 104Social Processes and the Environment
Spring 2007
Instructor
Clare Ginger, Associate ProfessorRichard Watts, Instructor
355 Aiken, 656-2698365 Aiken, 656-9775
Email: mail:
Office Hours:Tue2:15 – 3:45Office Hours:Tue/Thu
Thu3:30 – 5or by appt9:30 – 10:45 or by appt
Sign-up for office hours, posted at 355 Aiken
Teaching Assistants
Michelle Baumflek, 103 Aiken, 656-0934Alek Antczak, Aiken 118, 578-4543
Email: mail:
Office Hours: Wed 12:30-1:30; Thu 2:30-4Office Hours: TBA
NR 104, Social Processes and the Environment, is a part of the core curriculum of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. The core curriculum represents a body of knowledge, skills, and values that the faculty believes are central to the study of natural resources and the environment. This body of knowledge, skills, and values cuts across all academic programs within the School; it integrates the natural and social sciences to provide a fuller understanding of and more informed responses to natural resource and environmental issues.
Purpose of NR 104 and Relationship to NR 103 and 105
NR 104 focuses on the social processes through which humans define and respond to environmental issues. It is a companion course to NR 103 and NR 105. NR 104 provides frameworks from the social sciences to analyze social dimensions of environmental issues while NR 103 provides frameworks from ecology to analyze biological and physical dimensions of environmental phenomena. Both of these courses offer students ways to analyze and understand more deeply natural resource issues and the environment. Ultimately, understandings generated using these approaches must be integrated across the natural and social sciences to understand and address contemporary natural resource and environmental issues. NR 105, Environmental Problem Analysis, provides students with this opportunity.
Course Description
In NR 104, we study theories and processes of government, economics, and social movements as they apply to environmental policy issues. The theories provide the basis for frameworks from social sciences that help us to analyze and understand how humans define and respond to environmental issues. Students also consider their own and other people’s views of current environmental issues and how these relate to social values.In the process, we examine dynamics of collaboration and conflict in defining and responding to environmental issues.
Class Meetings, Preparation, and Participation
We meet twice a week in sessions that include lecture, occasional guest speakers and films, small group exercises, and role-play activities. These sessions focus on material from course readings, films, and periodic homework assignments.
Time: Tuesday/Thursday, 11 am – 12:15 pmPlace: 104 Aiken111 Rowell
Course Objectives
As with all core curriculum courses, the faculty of the School has given considerable thought to the material that should be included in NR 104. Based on faculty deliberations, students in NR 104 will gain skills and understanding in the following areas:
1. Analyze how natural resource and environment issues are addressed through government, market, and interest group processes;
2. Investigate and write about a particular environmental policy issue of interest to each student;
3. Use library and web research skills to find information aboutenvironmental issues;
4. Explore values such as democracy, efficiency, and equity as they relate to environment and natural resource issues.
Assignments and Grading
Reading is an important part of learning in this class. Much of what we discuss in class is based on the readings. To participate in an informed way, you should prepare by reading assigned material before the class session in which we will discuss it. If you have difficulty with the readings, please come see us so that we can discuss how to address this. Your participation during class sessions will contribute to your grade.
In addition to reading, attending class, and participating in class activities, you are responsible for taking two exams (mid-term and final), working in a small group to investigate a candidate for political office in this fall’s elections, andworking on your own to write two assessments related to a political candidate and his/her positions on environmental issues. Exams will test your knowledge of and ability to apply ideas presented during class and in the readings. In the assessments, you will apply the tools and ideas from class meetings and the readings to the candidates and their positions on the issues. Additional guidance for each assignment will be provided in advance of their due dates. Specific elements, as they contribute to grades for NR 104,are as follows:
Assignment% of Grade
Class Exercises, Participation, Homework15%
Assessment 1 (Government Process)20%
Assessment 2 (Economics, option 1)20%
Assessment 3 (Citizen Group Action, option 2)same as Assmnt 2
Midterm Exam20%
Final Exam25%
Assignments turned in late will result in deductions in grade unless previous arrangements are made with the instructors. The size of deduction will depend on the circumstances. Assignments that are not turned in at all will receive a grade of 'zero.' If unforeseen circumstances arise, please contact your instructor or one of the TAs as soon as you can and, if possible, in advance of when the assignment is due.
Required Texts
1.Vig, Norman J. and Michael E. Kraft (editors). 2006. Environmental Policy: New Directions for the 21st Century, 6th Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, Washington, D.C. University Bookstore.
2.Ingersoll, Thomas G., Robert E. O'Connor, and Robert F. Pecorella. 1993. Politics and Structure: Essentials of American National Government, 6th Edition, Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, CA.University Bookstore
3.Other readings as assigned – will be made available on-line and in class as the semester progresses.
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NR 104 Social Processes and the Environment – Class Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Wk Date (Day) - Topic
1Jan 16(Tue) - Introduction to Course - Social Aspects of Environmental Issues
Political Science, Government, and Public Policy
Jan 18 (Thu) – Government Institutions and Policy Processes; Pluralist Ideals
Vig & Kraft, Ch 1, "Environmental Policy from the 1970s to the Twenty-First Century," pp. 1-33
2Jan 23(Tue) – Executive Branch – ALL MEET IN AIKEN 104
Issues: Vig & Kraft, Ch 5, Vig, "Presidential Leadership and the Environment," pp. 100-123
Jan 25 (Thu) – Finish Executive Branch; Begin Legislative Branch
Structure and Leadership Functions: Ingersoll et al., Ch 1, "The Presidency," pp. 17-38; 59-63
Issues: Vig & Kraft, Ch 6, Kraft, "Environmental Policy in Congress," pp. 124-147
Due: Issue Description (1/2 to 1 page)
3Jan 30 (Tue) – Legislative Branch (continued)
Structure and Leadership Functions: Ingersoll et al, Ch 2, "The Congress," pp. 65-74; 108-116
Feb 1 (Thu) –Bureaucracy
Issues: Vig & Kraft, Ch 8, Rosenbaum, "Improving Environmental Regulation at the EPA," pp. 169-192
4Feb 6 (Tue) – Finish Bureaucracy; begin Judiciary
Structure and Leadership Functions: Ingersoll et al., Ch 4, "The Federal Bureaucracy," pp. 151-189
Issues: Vig & Kraft, Ch 7, O'Leary, "Environmental Policy in the Courts," pp. 148-168
Feb 8 (Thu) – Judiciary (continued)
Structure and Leadership Functions: Ingersoll et al., Ch 3, "The Federal Judiciary," pp. 117-129; 145-150
5Feb 13 (Tue) –ALL MEET IN AIKEN 104 for Movie – When the Salmon Runs Dry. Basis for in-class exercise on Feb 15
Selection from Layzer (on-line)The Environmental Case: Translating Values into Policy, Ch. 1, pp. 1-9
Feb 15 (Thu) –Framing Policy Issues – in-class exercise based on movie from 2/13
Due: Issue Assessment 1 –Addressing Environmental Issues through Government Processes (5 to 6 pages)
NR 104 Social Processes and the Environment – Class Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Wk Date (Day) - Topic
6Feb 20 (Tue) –Decentralization and Government Action
Vig & Kraft, Ch 2, Rabe, "Power to the States: The Promise and Pitfalls of Decentralization," pp. 34-56
Economics, Accounting, and Efficiency: Markets, Government, and the Environment
Feb 22 (Thu) –Economics and Valuing the Environment
Tietenberg (on-line), Chapter 2 "Economics of the Environment,” 21 pages
Gore (on-line), "Eco-nomics: Truth or Consequences," 15 pages
7Feb 27 (Tue) – Midterm Exam (covers material through 2/20)
Mar 1 (Thu) –Economic Efficiency and Government Decisions:Accounting with Benefit-Cost Analysis
Vig & Kraft, Ch 9, Freeman, "Economics, Incentives, and Environmental Regulation," pp. 193-200
8Mar 6 (Tue)Town Meeting Day – NO CLASS – Go to town meeting and/or vote.
Mar 8 (Thu) –In-Class Exercise:Accounting for Environmental Impacts with Benefit-Cost Analysis
MARCH 13 and 15 – SPRING BREAK
9Mar 20 (Tue) – Accounting for Impacts in the Private Sector: Industry Accounting
Vig & Kraft, Ch 12, Press and Mazmanian, "The Greening of Industry," pp. 264-287
Mar 22 (Thu) – Motivations for Greening of Industry – Regulation or Incentives?
Vig & Kraft, Ch 9, Freeman, "Economics, Incentives, and Environmental Regulation," pp. 200-212
10Mar 27 (Tue) –ALL MEET IN AIKEN 104–Greening of Business Guest Speaker: from GreenMtn Coffee
Review materials from GreenMountain Coffee – TBA
Mar 29(Thu) –Responses to Standard Economics Arguments
Costanza (on-line), "Visions, Values, Valuation, & the Need for an Ecological Economics" (10 pages)
Sagoff (on-line), "Zuckerman's Dilemma: A Plea for Environmental Ethics," (9 pages)
Public Participation, Social Movements, and Environmental Issues
11Apr 3(Tue) –CitizenParticipation: Lay versus Expert Decision Making in Environmental Policy
Reading TBA
Due: Issue Assessment 2 – Economics (5 to 6 pages) (Do either this one or Assessment 3 - your choice)
NR 104 Social Processes and the Environment- Class Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Wk Date (Day) - Topic
Apr 5 (Thu) – Public Involvement – From Information to Collaboration
Steelman and Ascher (on-line), "Public Involvement Methods in Natural Resource Policy Making: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Trade-offs," 20 pages
12Apr 10 (Tue) –ALL MEET IN AIKEN 104 – Environmental Group Guest Speakers
Environmental Groups: Goals, Strategies, and Resources – Materials from visiting groups TBA
Supporting Reading: Salazar (on-line), “The Mainstreet-Grassroots Divide in the Environmental Movement” (18 pages)
Apr 12 (Thu) –From Citizen Groups to an Environmental Movement
Vig & Kraft, Ch 4, Bosso & Guber, "Maintaining Presence: Environmental Advocacy and the Permanent Campaign," pp. 78-99
13Apr 17 (Tue) – Understanding Equity
Stone (on-line), "Equity," 15 pages
Apr 19 (Thu) – Defining and Seeking Environmental Justice
Nienaber-Clarke & Gerlak (on-line), "Environmental Racism in Southern Arizona? The Reality Beneath the Rhetoric," (19 pages)
14Apr24 (Tue) – In-Class Exercise
Due: Issue Assessment 3 – Citizen Group Action and Participation (5 to 6 pages) (Do either this one or Assessment 2 - your choice)
Apr26 (Thu) –Environmental Justice (cont’d)
Vig & Kraft, Ch 11, Ringquist, "Environmental Justice: Normative Concerns, Empirical Evidence, and Government Action" pp. 249-273
15May 1 (Tue) – Looking Ahead
Vig & Kraft, Ch 17, "Toward Sustainable Development," pp. 374-394
FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 11, 8 to 11 am
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