STV2250 – International Environmental and Resource Politics
Course description
Course content
Why and how do human activities generate international environmental problems? How can we best account for patterns of success and failure in efforts to create or strengthen international institutions in this area? And why do some of those institutions succeed in shaping the behaviour of states and industries in ways that mitigate environmental problems whereas others remain dead letters? This course provides tools for explaining differences among processes of international environmental negotiation and their outputs, outcomes and impacts. Conceptually, the emphasis is on rationalist institutional theory, but the course also brings out how that approach to international environmental and resource politics are fruitfully challenged or complemented by realist, constructivist or critical theories.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Students will:
- understand how environmental problems become subjects of international negotiation, including the roles of non-state actors and interconnections between science and politics
- become familiar with factors that shape the positions and influence of various categories of actors in global environmental politics, including the rise of private-public partnerships and market-based governance
- understand the structure and operation of major international environmental and resource regimes, including those for climate, biodiversity, and ocean governance
- see connections between the design of institutions and the results that can be expected
- understand the interplay among international institutions with competence in different issue areas (such as trade and the environment) or at different levels (such as global and regional)
- become acquainte with the mechanisms that can link environmental degradation and conflict within and among states
Skills
Students will be able to:
- diagnose various environmental and resource management problems (for example, how difficult are they to solve?)
- evaluate various cooperative arrangements that aim to solve such problems (for example, their effectiveness or legitimacy)
- prepare academic texts, applying concepts and theories in original analyses of specific cases, contemporary events, or developments
- communicate academic knowledge in writing and orally and provide constructive criticism of other students’ assignments
General competence
Students will:
- strengthen their capacities for systematic and critical thinking
- sharpen their ability to critically assess existing analyses and evaluations of policies and institutions beyond environmental and resource management
- improve their academic writing skills
- engage in academic dialogue and mutual feedback
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
This course is not available for single course students.
Recommended previous knowledge
STV1200 – Internasjonal politikk b?r avlegges i forkant.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with STV1214 – Internasjonal milj?- og ressurspolitikk (discontinued).
Teaching
Lectures and seminars
This course has mandatory teaching and requires physical presence at seminars.
Compulsory activities
Attend at least three of the five seminars
Write and present a draft seminar paper
Serve as main discussant on at least one other student’s draft seminar paper
Hand in a finalized seminar paper
The seminars are taught in English, and the papers must be written in English.
See the seminar guidelines for more information about the seminars.
See the rules for reassignment of seminar groups and the guidelines for compulsory activities.
Absence from compulsory activities
In the event of illness or other valid reasons, you can apply for a valid absence or postponement of compulsory activity.
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, and does not have to in order to retake the exam.?If a student have only partially approved compulsory activities, they must complete those again to take a new exam, along with any other compulsory activities they haven't yet passed. A?student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
3-hour written exam
You must have passed the compulsory activities in order to sit the exam
Previous exams and examination guidelines
Examination support material
Students may use dictionaries at this exam. Dictionaries must be handed in before the examination. Please read regulations for dictionaries permitted at the examination.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.