EDS349 Energi og Samfunn

Knowledge goals:

Students shall gain deeper insight into energy politics and the linkages between social and economic development and energy use. Students shall acquire the capacity to use theory to study concrete cases concerning energy politics and governance at the national and local level. The course makes explicit and critical use of theoretical approaches drawn from science and technology studies (STS), anthropology, economics, political science, political economy and political ecology. Students shall develop the capacity to undertake interdisciplinary analyses and obtain higher-level understanding of the ways in which society, resources and technology interact and influence the possibilities of human decision-making. The students will learn to connect theoretical perspectives and approaches to practical policy issues, and through analysis suggest political solutions where efficiency, legitimacy and political viability are considered important criteria.

The use of digital storytelling as both an assessment and learning method assists students to form a strong personal and qualified connection with the themes of the course.

Skill Goals:

Students shall acquire the skills to study various strategies for the sustainable use of energy resources. Energy resources are studied individually within the context of international agreements, national policies and local politics. In relation to this, the inter-relationship between state, business and civil society is emphasized. Students shall, finally, be able to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of existing energy governance structures, and develop and evaluate ideas for alternative solutions. Given the importance of communicating to both specialists and the general public, the course encourages students to work collaboratively, to study both academic and policy-related documentation, and to present their opinions and ideas in plenum.

General goals:

Through active participation in class discussions, student presentations, group work, visual and written assignments students develop their skills in critical thinking. The course aims to encourage reflection on both their own and other people's attitudes, values and norms and develop self-reflection around the relationships between society and nature as well as scientific and interpersonal relationships.

Single assessment.

Students will produce a digital story in which they analyze cases of energy development, conflict or transition. These are between 3 and 5 minutes in length.

The following elements are also considered essential in terms of their content i.e.

1.Empirical knowledge of the theme and context (based on existing credible secondary or primary sources)

2. Academic discussion and analysis (reviewing the current state of the art of an issue)

3. Positioning in response to these (your own position and argument).

Each of the student digital stories will be examined by the course leader together with an external examiner. Here a combination of both technical skill, delivery and the essential elements assessed above will be points of assessment.

Professor John-Andrew McNeish

Support provided to Digital Storytelling Workshops by the NMBU Learning Centre

Students are expected to take an active role in class discussions, group work and plenary presentations.

100% attendence (unless student´s circumstances require exceptions. This should be agreed with the course convener).

During the course students are expected to produce an individually produced digital-story in which personal experience and interests are combined with learned theory and course literature to analyze cases of energy development, conflict or transition.

Digital storytelling at its most basic is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. There are a wealth of other terms used to describe this practice, such as digital documentaries, computer-based narratives, digital essays, electronic memoirs, interactive storytelling, etc.; but in general, they all revolve around the idea of combining the art of producing a reflective narrative with a variety of multimedia, including graphics, audio, video, and Web publishing. In the case of this course these narratives are required to be well evidenced and argued.

Draft Course Structure

Part 1: The Power of Power

1.Introduction: Energy in Human History

2.Empires of Coal and Oil

3.Sparking the Start of the 20th Century

4. Digital Storytelling: Narrative

5 .A Nuclear Winter, An Atomic Spring

Part 2: Responding to the Worst Consequences

1. Contamination

2.Corporate Science

3.Resource Curse?

4. Digital Storytelling: Sound

5. Earth Politics

Part 3: Energy Transition in the Anthropocene

1.The Gigatonne Gap

2.Endless Plenty? Cultures of Consumption

3.Greenwashing the Brown

4. Digital Storytelling: Image

5. Just Transition?