Political Science 790E - Ethnographies of Energy

This multidisciplinary graduate seminar draws on readings from the fields of political science, anthropology, and geography among others. By the end of the semester, students will come away from this class with: an overview and analysis of what ethnographic approaches and methods can teach us about the study of energy and the ongoing transition; examples from communities resisting carbon-intensive energy systems and envisioning and implementing alternatives; examples of the ways in which efforts to scale up solar and wind energy, among others, reproduce colonial relations of dispossession, control, extractivism, and environmental degradation; practice writing analytical and reflective responses to readings ;increased skills in presenting course material and leading discussions; the opportunity to pursue a research project of their choice throughout the semester, and to investigate a concrete case they are interested in alongside reading the material for the class. This course counts as a graduate level comparative politics course in the Political Science department, as well as an option for the existing graduate Ethnography Certificate.