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| Semester | fall semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Johannes Schubert (jon.schubert@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This course introduces students to current debates on climate risk and urban adaptation. We investigate the various ways in which climate risk is produced, and manifests unequally in the lived realities of urban dwellers across a broad variety of socio-political contexts. We also examine the ways in which different disciplines have sought to apprehend social and infrastructural responses to climate change to develop critical perspectives on dominant, oftentimes reductionist discourses about ‘climate change and cities in the global South’. Drawing from readings in anthropology, political geography, political ecology, history, political science, and urban studies, this course explores different empirical contexts to introduce students to key ideas and explore the different factors driving experiences of, and adaptation to, urban climate risk. Students will learn to identify, understand, compare and contrast various conceptual approaches, and apply these to different realities. Students should come out with a firm knowledge of the interrelations between urban and global development, capitalism, infrastructure, and climate justice. The course will be run as weekly, two-hour meetings. Each session includes a brief introduction by the instructor, and then extensive group discussions based on readings and reading notes prepared by the students. All but the first session will also include student presentations on selected topics/case studies. This is a discussion seminar, and your learning success depends on commitment and involvement of all participants. This only works if you arrive well-prepared, and actively participate in the discussions and listen to your peers. The reading list includes core readings per session that all students are expected to read and prepare for discussion — these are normally two journal articles or book chapters, though in some sessions we will rely on shorter, alternative forms of conveying analytical insights to academic and non-academic audiences (online resources, shorter posts, etc.). In addition, students in teams of two will lead the discussion based on a selection of suggested readings. I will allocate these topics/ sessions prior to our meetings — you may e-mail me a preference by the end of September, though depending on sign-up and interests, I cannot guarantee you will be allocated the topic of your choice. Finally, the syllabus also includes additional readings for those wishing to explore a certain topic in greater depth (for their essay, for example). |
| Comments | This course is capped and 35 students will be the maximum with a priority for Critical Urbanisms Master students on timely registration. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Friday | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 29.09.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Pharmaziemuseum, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Friday 06.10.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Pharmaziemuseum, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Friday 13.10.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 20.10.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 27.10.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 03.11.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 10.11.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 17.11.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 24.11.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Dies Academicus |
| Friday 01.12.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 08.12.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 15.12.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Friday 22.12.2023 | 10.15-12.00 | Alte Gewerbeschule, Studio 357 |
| Modules |
Module: Fields: Environment and Development (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Resources and Sustainability (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Module: The Urban across Disciplines (Master's degree program: Critical Urbanisms) Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Pass/fail |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Urban Studies |