course-details-portlet

HFO1004 - The Human Era?

About

Examination arrangement

Examination arrangement: Assignment
Grade: Passed / Not Passed

Evaluation Weighting Duration Grade deviation Examination aids
Assignment 100/100

Course content

Our contemporary moment is marked by an increasing awareness of serious and rapid changes in living conditions on Earth. This course will address the social, cultural, and political issues associated with our contemporary moment, which researchers suggest could be a new geological era: the Anthropocene. If we accept that human activity affects the rhythms of geological phenomena, we in the humanities must also ask how we can make sense of our place in the world today. What is nature? What is human? How should we think about the human in the world? Do humans have obligations to nature and the planet? Questions like these form the backdrop of this course that addresses humanities perspectives on topics related to climate, environment, and nature. This provides further basis for discussing how the term 'Anthropocene' contributes to new questions, new issues, and new ways of exploring things in the humanities. This is done through thematic organized project work.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Students who complete this course will have knowledge of:

  • today's debates about environmental, social, aesthetic, and ethical topics and controversies
  • the term Anthropocene, its origination and important debates related to the term
  • how the concept of the Anthropocene has been the starting point for new directions in humanities research, with particular focus on popular culture, natural philosophy, technology studies, studies of politics and democracy, posthumanism, and animal studies
  • the relevance of the concept of the Anthropocene outside the university, in daily life and in society as a whole

Skills

Students who complete this course will have the skills to:

  • interpret and debate historical, political, social and cultural aspects of nature and environmental issues
  • track the path of Anthropocene through various disciplines and areas of study within the humanities
  • formulate an argument on a given topic and answer it through a project

General competence

Students who complete this subject have general competence in

  • cooperative learning
  • project work

Learning methods and activities

The first half of the semester is based on lectures followed by a period of seminar training, where the students work on a project in interdisciplinary groups. The project is presented in the end of the semester.

Compulsory activities:

  • Project outline / project plan (in groups)
  • Weekly logs during the project period (in groups)
  • Presentation of the project (in groups)
  • 80 % participation in seminars is required

Compulsory activities during the seminar training are conducted in groups. In order to take the exam, approval of compulsory activities and 80 % participation in seminars are required.

Students are obliged to keep updated on information from department or course instructor in Blackboard.

Teaching is conducted in English or Norwegian.

Compulsory assignments

  • Compulsory tasks

Further on evaluation

Individual semester assignment (term paper) submitted digitally in Inspera, at the end of the semester. Course instructor will present the question text for the semester assignment in the first half of the semester (before the project period).

More on the course

No

Facts

Version: 1
Credits:  7.5 SP
Study level: Foundation courses, level I

Coursework

Term no.: 1
Teaching semester:  AUTUMN 2023

Term no.: 1
Teaching semester:  SPRING 2024

Language of instruction: Norwegian

Location: Trondheim

Subject area(s)
  • The Humanities
Contact information
Course coordinator:

Department with academic responsibility
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture

Examination

Examination arrangement: Assignment

Term Status code Evaluation Weighting Examination aids Date Time Examination system Room *
Autumn ORD Assignment 100/100

Release
2023-11-13

Submission
2023-12-11


09:00


14:00

INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
Spring ORD Assignment 100/100

Release
2024-05-02

Submission
2024-05-31


09:00


14:00

INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
  • * The location (room) for a written examination is published 3 days before examination date. If more than one room is listed, you will find your room at Studentweb.
Examination

For more information regarding registration for examination and examination procedures, see "Innsida - Exams"

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