ENGL 342 - Environmental Literature

Units: 4 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-3; Sustainability
Study of divergent and contested literary representations of ecological landscapes and environments, and of how literature that represents ecological harm across race, ethnicity, class and cultural difference influences environmentalism and environmental justice movements.

Breadth Area(s) Satisfied: GE-UD-3 - Upper-Division Arts or Humanities (Humanities); Sustainability
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Areas 1A, 1B, 1C and GE-2 with grade C- (CR) or better (GE Areas A1, A2, A3 and B4 for students on the 2024-25 or earlier catalogs).
Strongly Recommended Preparation: Upper division status (greater than 60 earned semester units) and completion of lower division Area 3 requirements (lower division Area C requirements for students on the 2024-25 or earlier catalogs).
Possible Instructional Methods: On-ground, or Hybrid, or Online-Asynchronous, or Online-Synchronous.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Course Typically Offered: Fall ONLY

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

analyze commonalities as well as differences among the representations in literature of environmental themes, settings, and characters from different ethnic, class, cultural backgrounds;
apply terminology from eco-criticism to analyze literature and its influence;
explain how literary representations of environments and of ecological harm influence environmental justice movements;
demonstrate improved skills for formal thesis-d
riven writing about literature and an appreciation of the writing process;
engage in collaborative and community-engagement assignments that connect literature with the sustainability of our local and global environments.

GE-UD-3. Upper-division Arts or Humanities Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply principles, methodologies, values systems, and thought processes employed in the arts and humanities.
Analyze cultural production as an expression of, or reflection upon, what it means to be human.
Demonstrate how the perspectives of the arts or humanities are used by informed, engaged, and reflective citizens to benefit local and global communities.

Sustainability Overlay Learning Outcomes

Discuss multiple dimensions of sustainability, including the scientific, social, cultural, and/or economic.
Analyze interactions between human activities and natural systems.
Describe strategies taken by individuals, communities, organizations, or governments for mitigating and/or adapting to key threats to environmental sustainability.