FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Mechatronics Engineering
GEHU 303 | Course Introduction and Application Information
Course Name |
Ecology, Politics, Planetary Thinking
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Code
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Semester
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Theory
(hour/week) |
Application/Lab
(hour/week) |
Local Credits
|
ECTS
|
GEHU 303
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Fall/Spring
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
Prerequisites |
None
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Course Language |
English
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Course Type |
Service Course
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Course Level |
First Cycle
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Mode of Delivery | - | |||||
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course | - | |||||
Course Coordinator | ||||||
Course Lecturer(s) | ||||||
Assistant(s) | - |
Course Objectives | This course aims to introduce key issues, major themes, and pressing problems concerning environmental politics and ecological thinking. Massive-scale expansion of urban areas; irreversible processes of deforestation and environmental degradation caused by the idea of "infinite growth"; careless urbanization and suburbanization; local and global threats posed by the climate change; and transnational impacts of changing public consumption habits into blind consumerism; all of these developments in the past few centuries address that in our age, the human-nature relationship takes place in the form of an "ecological crisis," meaning the time for taking significant steps towards rethinking of this relationship. In this respect, this course offers students to comprehend various issues of politics of environment from the perspective of "planetary thinking," which acknowledges contributions of conventional approaches; but it also brings a new approach by studying "human life" and "human health" in relation to planetary health that includes animal health, environmental/ecological health, and biodiversity. |
Learning Outcomes |
The students who succeeded in this course;
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Course Description | This course will develop in three parts. In the first part, we are going to spend some time in understanding the “ecological crisis” by looking at its symptoms and reasons, also climate denialism, and the idea of “planetary thinking” and “planetary health.” In the second part, we are going to elaborate on the critical perspectives towards the idea of environmental justice with an emphasis on green philosophy and politics as well as international cooperation on sustainability and ecological enhancement. We will devote the final part of the course on current debates. |
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Core Courses | |
Major Area Courses | ||
Supportive Courses | ||
Media and Management Skills Courses | ||
Transferable Skill Courses |
WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATION STUDIES
Week | Subjects | Related Preparation |
1 | Introduction to the course: Objectives and Expectations | John Bellamy Foster (1999), The Vulnerable Planet, (NY: Monthly Review Press), Preface&Ch.1 |
2 | Ecology and the Emergence of Environmental Politics | Jaboury Ghazoul (2020), Ecology: A Very Short Introduction (NY and London: Oxford University Press), ch.1-2. Andrew Dobson (2016), Environmental Politics: A Very Short Introduction, (NY and London: Oxford University Press), introduction; ch.1-2. Pamela S. Chasek et al. (2018), “The Emergence of Global Environmental Politics,” Global Environmental Politics (7th ed.), (NY and London: Routledge), pp. 1-49. |
3 | The Rise and Fall of Developmentalism and “Infinite Growth” | Kelley Johnson (2010), “Developmentalism Then and Now: The Origins and Resurgence of an Enduring Grand Theory,” Grand Theories and Ideologies in the Social Sciences (ed. Howard J. Wiarda), (NY: Palgrave Macmillan), pp. 19-40. Sukhoon Hong (2010), “Environmental and Geographic Determinism: Jared Diamond and His Ideas,” Grand Theories and Ideologies in the Social Sciences (ed. Howard J. Wiarda), (NY: Palgrave Macmillan), pp. 141-158. Jacobus A. du Pisani (2006), “Sustainable Development: Historical Roots of the Concept,” Environmental Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 83-96. |
4 | Actors and Regimes of Environmental Politics | Pamela S. Chasek et al. (2018), “Actors in the Environmental Arena,” Global Environmental Politics (7th ed.), (NY and London: Routledge), pp. 51-103. Lindsay Maizland (2021), “Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures,” Council on Foreign Relations (https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/paris-global-climate-change-agreements). |
5 | Approaches 1: Population and Scarcity vs. Institutions and Commons | Paul Robbins et al. (2014), Environment and Society: A Critical Introduction, (UK: Wiley Blackwell), ch.2&ch.4. |
6 | Approaches 2: Environmental Justice *Deadline for setting up presentation groups | Paul Robbins et al. (2014), Environment and Society: A Critical Introduction, (UK: Wiley Blackwell), ch.5. |
7 | Midterm | |
8 | Making Sense of the “Crisis” of Ecology | TBA |
9 | Climate Change: Denialist vs. Alarmist Controversy **Deadline for submitting presentation topics with brief descriptions | TBA |
10 | Solutions 1: Transnational Activism/ Environmental Movements ***Feedback on presentation topics | TBA |
11 | Solutions 2: “Planetary Health” | TBA |
12 | Presentations | |
13 | Presentations | |
14 | Presentations | |
15 | Review of the Semester | |
16 | Final Exam |
Course Notes/Textbooks | |
Suggested Readings/Materials |
EVALUATION SYSTEM
Semester Activities | Number | Weigthing |
Participation |
1
|
10
|
Laboratory / Application | ||
Field Work | ||
Quizzes / Studio Critiques | ||
Portfolio | ||
Homework / Assignments |
1
|
20
|
Presentation / Jury | ||
Project | ||
Seminar / Workshop | ||
Oral Exams | ||
Midterm |
1
|
30
|
Final Exam |
1
|
40
|
Total |
Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade |
3
|
60
|
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade |
1
|
40
|
Total |
ECTS / WORKLOAD TABLE
Semester Activities | Number | Duration (Hours) | Workload |
---|---|---|---|
Theoretical Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) |
16
|
3
|
48
|
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours) |
16
|
0
|
|
Study Hours Out of Class |
16
|
1
|
16
|
Field Work |
0
|
||
Quizzes / Studio Critiques |
0
|
||
Portfolio |
0
|
||
Homework / Assignments |
1
|
8
|
8
|
Presentation / Jury |
0
|
||
Project |
0
|
||
Seminar / Workshop |
0
|
||
Oral Exam |
0
|
||
Midterms |
1
|
10
|
10
|
Final Exam |
1
|
18
|
18
|
Total |
100
|
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS RELATIONSHIP
#
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Program Competencies/Outcomes |
* Contribution Level
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||||
1
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2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
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1 | To have knowledge in Mathematics, science, physics knowledge based on mathematics; mathematics with multiple variables, differential equations, statistics, optimization and linear algebra; to be able to use theoretical and applied knowledge in complex engineering problems |
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2 | To be able to identify, define, formulate, and solve complex mechatronics engineering problems; to be able to select and apply appropriate analysis and modeling methods for this purpose. |
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3 | To be able to design a complex electromechanical system, process, device or product with sensor, actuator, control, hardware, and software to meet specific requirements under realistic constraints and conditions; to be able to apply modern design methods for this purpose. |
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4 | To be able to develop, select and use modern techniques and tools necessary for the analysis and solution of complex problems encountered in Mechatronics Engineering applications; to be able to use information technologies effectively. |
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5 | To be able to design, conduct experiments, collect data, analyze and interpret results for investigating Mechatronics Engineering problems. |
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6 | To be able to work effectively in Mechatronics Engineering disciplinary and multidisciplinary teams; to be able to work individually. |
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7 | To be able to communicate effectively in Turkish, both in oral and written forms; to be able to author and comprehend written reports, to be able to prepare design and implementation reports, to present effectively, to be able to give and receive clear and comprehensible instructions. |
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8 | To have knowledge about global and social impact of engineering practices on health, environment, and safety; to have knowledge about contemporary issues as they pertain to engineering; to be aware of the legal ramifications of engineering solutions. |
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9 | To be aware of ethical behavior, professional and ethical responsibility; information on standards used in engineering applications. |
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10 | To have knowledge about industrial practices such as project management, risk management and change management; to have awareness of entrepreneurship and innovation; to have knowledge about sustainable development. |
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11 | Using a foreign language, he collects information about Mechatronics Engineering and communicates with his colleagues. ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1) |
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12 | To be able to use the second foreign language at intermediate level. |
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13 | To recognize the need for lifelong learning; to be able to access information; to be able to follow developments in science and technology; to be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to Mechatronics Engineering. |
*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest