| Course Title: Water, People, and Politics in the Anthropocene |
| Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026 |
| Term: Spring Semester 2026 |
| Description: Water is not simply a natural biophysical element that flows neutrally through landscapes. In this course, we will focus on the political, ecological, and historical dimensions of human water use in a changing climate. Throughout the course, we will examine ways in which water crises are produced and play out at various scales, ranging from the macro (global) to the micro (household) and human body. We will begin by strengthening our foundational understanding of water resources and laws that affect distribution, quality, use, and sustainability. Then, we'll dig deeper into the complexities that link water, people, and politics. In the last weeks of the course, we'll work on applying these ideas to dissect real-world issues such as the Flint and the Jackson water crisis. We'll also think about how to harness the newest and best ideas to sustainably and inclusively meet societal and ecological water needs now and in the future. |
| Distribution(s): III - Social Sciences , SI - Speaking-Intensive , WI - Writing-Intensive |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Dinko Hanaan Dinko | dhanaandinko@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026 | Seminar | Wednesday | 01:30PM - 04:20PM | TBA | TBA | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| Prereq: One course in Geography or one related social science course. | Take previously | Required |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags | ||
| CRPE0001 | CRPE-1: CRPE - Major Pathway/Minor | This course has been approved to count towards the CRPE major pathway and the CRPE minor. |
| CRPE0003 | CRPE-3: Critical Social Thought - Major Pathway | This course has been approved to count towards the CRPE Critical Social Thought major pathway. |
| ENVST-SS | ENVST-SS: Env Studies pre-2024 Minor - Social Science | This course has been approved to count towards the Environmental Studies minor Social Science area. |
| ENVST-CRSE | ENVST-EL: Env Studies Electives | This course is an approved elective for the Environmental Studies major and minor. |
| NXDEV0001 | NXDEV: Nexus in Development Studies | This course is approved for the Development Studies Nexus track. |
| GEOG0001 | GEOG-1: Geography major | This course counts toward the Geography major and minor. |
| GEOG0001 | GEOG-1: Geography minor | This course counts toward the Geography major and minor. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Open | Capacity: 18 | Enrollment: 10 | Available: 8 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| To be determined. |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |