Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology (C&E Sociology 140)
Spring 2025
Teaching Assistant
Instructor: Prof. Michael M. Bell
Course Description: How can we get along better with each other and the planet? The central task of the study of community and environmental sociology is answering this question. Each week in this introductory course, we take up a different dimension of what stands in the way of greater togetherness, and how we might turn it into a point of connection and belongingness with one another. First we begin with dimensions rooted more in what sociologists call “material” factors, then moving on to “ideal” factors, and concluding the course on “practical” issues of positive change. As well, we will apply each week’s intellectual “background” to a “foreground” topic to focus our collective learning. Learning Objectives: Develop students’ critical thinking about community and environmental sociology; Develop students’ understanding of both the ideological and the material factors behind human-environmental relations and their social inequalities; Develop students’ capacity for contextual understanding about community and environmental relations; Develop students’ appreciation of the origins and patterns of human power relations, as well as of sources of mutual affection and concern; Develop students’ capacity for critical imagination of future possibilities for socio-ecological relations; Develop students’ oral and written communication skills.
Teaching Assistant
Instructor: Prof. Michael M. Bell
Course Description: How can we get along better with each other and the planet? The central task of the study of community and environmental sociology is answering this question. Each week in this introductory course, we take up a different dimension of what stands in the way of greater togetherness, and how we might turn it into a point of connection and belongingness with one another. First we begin with dimensions rooted more in what sociologists call “material” factors, then moving on to “ideal” factors, and concluding the course on “practical” issues of positive change. As well, we will apply each week’s intellectual “background” to a “foreground” topic to focus our collective learning. Learning Objectives: Develop students’ critical thinking about community and environmental sociology; Develop students’ understanding of both the ideological and the material factors behind human-environmental relations and their social inequalities; Develop students’ capacity for contextual understanding about community and environmental relations; Develop students’ appreciation of the origins and patterns of human power relations, as well as of sources of mutual affection and concern; Develop students’ capacity for critical imagination of future possibilities for socio-ecological relations; Develop students’ oral and written communication skills.
Indigenous Peoples and the Environment (AMER IND 306)
Fall 2024
Guest lecturer (Mean: 4.6/5.0; Median: 5.0/5.0)
Instructor: Dr. Samantha Bosco
Course Description: Indigenous peoples often have very close relationships to ancestral homelands, species and natural resources. However, definitions of "indigenous" can be controversial and highly politicized. Diverse outlooks on identities, worldviews and environmental governance clarify the complex meanings of indigeneity in the US. Highlights American Indian perspectives, conservation practices, and policy environments through consideration of US and international case studies. American Indian experiences shed light on pressing issues of resource sustainability and sovereignty, and demonstrate linkages to global Indigenous environmental issues and strategies.
Guest lecturer (Mean: 4.6/5.0; Median: 5.0/5.0)
Instructor: Dr. Samantha Bosco
Course Description: Indigenous peoples often have very close relationships to ancestral homelands, species and natural resources. However, definitions of "indigenous" can be controversial and highly politicized. Diverse outlooks on identities, worldviews and environmental governance clarify the complex meanings of indigeneity in the US. Highlights American Indian perspectives, conservation practices, and policy environments through consideration of US and international case studies. American Indian experiences shed light on pressing issues of resource sustainability and sovereignty, and demonstrate linkages to global Indigenous environmental issues and strategies.
Natural Resources Policy (FWE 515)
Fall 2024, 2023
Guest lecturer (Mean: 4.9/5.0; 4.4/5.0; Median: 5.0/5.0; 4.5/5.0)
Instructor: Prof. Adena Rissman
Course Description: Environmental policy in the United States impacts our environment and natural resources such as forests, wildlife, and water. We will think critically about natural resource policy and investigate the policy-making process and themes of values, economics, justice, and science. We begin with the idea that institutions and policies are not a fixed inheritance but are instead choices that are constantly being revised. Students will become familiar with the major laws, public agencies, and stakeholders that have shaped resource policy in the U.S. In order to understand current natural resource conflicts and trends, we will trace the history of natural resource problems, policy fixes, and transformations in the U.S. and delve into specific cases, assessing ecological, social, and economic outcomes. We will explore policy tools such as regulation, incentives, and ecolabeling which are increasingly interwoven in the multilayered environmental policy system of the 21st century. The goal of the course is to prepare students to engage in the policy-making process by providing a foundational knowledge of U.S. natural resources politics and policy and the communication skills to make your voice heard and your knowledge understood. skills to make your voice heard and your knowledge understood.
Guest lecturer (Mean: 4.9/5.0; 4.4/5.0; Median: 5.0/5.0; 4.5/5.0)
Instructor: Prof. Adena Rissman
Course Description: Environmental policy in the United States impacts our environment and natural resources such as forests, wildlife, and water. We will think critically about natural resource policy and investigate the policy-making process and themes of values, economics, justice, and science. We begin with the idea that institutions and policies are not a fixed inheritance but are instead choices that are constantly being revised. Students will become familiar with the major laws, public agencies, and stakeholders that have shaped resource policy in the U.S. In order to understand current natural resource conflicts and trends, we will trace the history of natural resource problems, policy fixes, and transformations in the U.S. and delve into specific cases, assessing ecological, social, and economic outcomes. We will explore policy tools such as regulation, incentives, and ecolabeling which are increasingly interwoven in the multilayered environmental policy system of the 21st century. The goal of the course is to prepare students to engage in the policy-making process by providing a foundational knowledge of U.S. natural resources politics and policy and the communication skills to make your voice heard and your knowledge understood. skills to make your voice heard and your knowledge understood.
Learning to Action: Professional Development (FWE 390)
Fall 2023
Guest lecturer (Not evaluated due to the small class size)
Instructor: Prof. Adena Rissman
Course Description: This course builds from your internship to prepare you for a natural resources profession and the job market after graduation. Our goal in this course is to help in the transition from undergrad to the next stage and to prepare future professionals to meaningfully and professionally contribute to natural resources management. Prof. Rissman volunteered to teach this class because students have said the internship was a key learning experience but it was not connected to the curriculum. The internship is experiential learning, or learning by doing in the field. It’s how many people learn best. It’s also important to consolidate and share that learning to make connections. What will we do this semester? We will reflect. Reflections are a proven way of helping us learn, remember, and communicate. We will learn from guest lecturers and one field trip to an employer. We will practice job searching and interviewing skills and edit job search documents. We will focus on some of the key professional skills employers say forestry applicants could improve: communication and conflict resolution. Finally, we will pay it forward to other Forest Science students.
Guest lecturer (Not evaluated due to the small class size)
Instructor: Prof. Adena Rissman
Course Description: This course builds from your internship to prepare you for a natural resources profession and the job market after graduation. Our goal in this course is to help in the transition from undergrad to the next stage and to prepare future professionals to meaningfully and professionally contribute to natural resources management. Prof. Rissman volunteered to teach this class because students have said the internship was a key learning experience but it was not connected to the curriculum. The internship is experiential learning, or learning by doing in the field. It’s how many people learn best. It’s also important to consolidate and share that learning to make connections. What will we do this semester? We will reflect. Reflections are a proven way of helping us learn, remember, and communicate. We will learn from guest lecturers and one field trip to an employer. We will practice job searching and interviewing skills and edit job search documents. We will focus on some of the key professional skills employers say forestry applicants could improve: communication and conflict resolution. Finally, we will pay it forward to other Forest Science students.
Policy and Politics of Environmental Information (FWE 875)
Fall 2022
Co-instructor (Mean: 4.8/5.0; Median: 5.0/5.0)
Instructor: Prof. Adena Rissman
Course Description: This graduate seminar investigates policies and politics shaping the production, use, and communication of environmental information. Environmental information – about land use, climate, wildlife, forests, water, agriculture, and human behavior – is often central to debates over environmental sustainability. Information from emerging technology such as remote sensing, drones, and cell phones are collected in new ways by professional scientists and members of the public. In this class, we will discuss emergent topics related to environmental information production and use, become familiar with the major laws, public agencies, and stakeholders that shape environmental information, and examine the shifting contours of public debates around privacy, truth, and facts. We will work together to develop public and policy engagement during the semester to explore an emerging environmental issue. Class sessions will be spent discussing topics and readings, planning the public forum, and hearing from guest speakers
Co-instructor (Mean: 4.8/5.0; Median: 5.0/5.0)
Instructor: Prof. Adena Rissman
Course Description: This graduate seminar investigates policies and politics shaping the production, use, and communication of environmental information. Environmental information – about land use, climate, wildlife, forests, water, agriculture, and human behavior – is often central to debates over environmental sustainability. Information from emerging technology such as remote sensing, drones, and cell phones are collected in new ways by professional scientists and members of the public. In this class, we will discuss emergent topics related to environmental information production and use, become familiar with the major laws, public agencies, and stakeholders that shape environmental information, and examine the shifting contours of public debates around privacy, truth, and facts. We will work together to develop public and policy engagement during the semester to explore an emerging environmental issue. Class sessions will be spent discussing topics and readings, planning the public forum, and hearing from guest speakers
Property Rights, and Natural Resources Research
Spring 2017
Teaching Assistant (Not evaluated due to the small class size)
Instructor: Prof. Wenjun Li
Course Description: How to prevent the degradation and unsustainable use of natural resources through effective management is the central goal of natural resource management theory and practice. This course will guide students through the study of key literature, fostering discussions on the concept of property rights, debates among various schools of thought, and their applications and advancements in the field of resource management research. The course covers diverse perspectives from classical economics, institutional economics, anthropology, and political ecology on the study of resource management. It will explore solutions to resource management challenges by introducing students to relevant academic literature, focusing on the roles of government, markets, and resource users, and presenting the latest advancements from different disciplines in this field. This course emphasizes the development of students' abilities to formulate academic questions and refine research methodologies.
Teaching Assistant (Not evaluated due to the small class size)
Instructor: Prof. Wenjun Li
Course Description: How to prevent the degradation and unsustainable use of natural resources through effective management is the central goal of natural resource management theory and practice. This course will guide students through the study of key literature, fostering discussions on the concept of property rights, debates among various schools of thought, and their applications and advancements in the field of resource management research. The course covers diverse perspectives from classical economics, institutional economics, anthropology, and political ecology on the study of resource management. It will explore solutions to resource management challenges by introducing students to relevant academic literature, focusing on the roles of government, markets, and resource users, and presenting the latest advancements from different disciplines in this field. This course emphasizes the development of students' abilities to formulate academic questions and refine research methodologies.
Selected Student Comments
“I appreciated guidance, instruction, patience, wisdom, and kindness so much”
"She did a great job keeping the course organized"
“She was open to student questions and expanding on the information”
“She brought in personal insight and research and connected it well to concepts and readings from our class, which I found very helpful and enlightening.”
“a great lecturer”
“I have learned so much under your guidance, and my mistakes were always met with kindness”
"She did a great job keeping the course organized"
“She was open to student questions and expanding on the information”
“She brought in personal insight and research and connected it well to concepts and readings from our class, which I found very helpful and enlightening.”
“a great lecturer”
“I have learned so much under your guidance, and my mistakes were always met with kindness”