Ecología política y conflictos socioambientales

This module introduces the fundamental concepts of political ecology as an interdisciplinary approach to understanding environmental issues. It explores key theoretical frameworks, historical development of the field, and foundational terminology essential for analyzing socio-environmental conflicts. The module also examines ecological footprint concepts and planetary boundaries, providing students with tools to understand the relationship between human activities and ecological limits, and how these concepts help frame discussions about sustainability and environmental justice.

Skills you'll gain

This module examines socio-environmental conflicts that emerge from development initiatives and infrastructure projects. It explores the definition of socio-environmental conflicts, analytical frameworks for understanding them, and critical perspectives on development paradigms. The module investigates how economic growth priorities, resource extraction policies, and infrastructure projects often clash with local communities' interests and environmental conservation, highlighting power dynamics, social inequalities, and contrasting worldviews that shape these conflicts.

Skills you'll gain

This module focuses on conflicts that arise from environmental conservation strategies and initiatives. It examines how conservation efforts, despite their environmental benefits, can generate tensions and conflicts when they fail to consider social dimensions, cultural practices, and local communities' rights. The module explores various conservation approaches, their impacts on communities, contested values regarding nature and resources, and the challenges of balancing ecological preservation with social justice and community needs.

Skills you'll gain

This module explores ecofeminism as a critical perspective that connects environmental issues with gender inequalities. It examines different ecofeminist currents, their core principles, and critiques of these approaches. The module analyzes how women experience distinctive impacts from environmental degradation, their unique roles in environmental movements, and the importance of gender perspectives in addressing ecological crises. It also investigates how environmental and gender issues are represented in various discourses, highlighting the power dynamics involved in who speaks for nature and marginalized communities.

Skills you'll gain

This module examines alternative approaches to conventional development models that have contributed to ecological crises and social inequalities. It specifically explores the relationship between animals and capitalism, analyzing how animals are commodified and exploited within capitalist systems. The module introduces post-development thinking, degrowth, buen vivir, and other alternative frameworks that challenge dominant economic paradigms. It also incorporates creative approaches like collage as a method for imagining and visualizing different possible futures and relationships between humans, non-humans, and ecosystems.

Skills you'll gain