When you study environmental communication you will study for example:
• Social change aiming at sustainable development
• Social interaction in natural resource management, e.g. conflicts, learning, collaboration, negotiation and power relations.
• Collective action in environmental management, on individual, group and/or societal levels.
The courses given in environmental communication contributes to increased understanding about what happens in communicative situations, but also better ability to act and manage these situations. In all education given by us there are two parallel tracks; on the one hand understanding what happens and on the other methods for improving the communication. Both the understanding and the methods can apply to very different environmental communication situations, with different purpose and on different levels.
Since the ambition levels can differ as can the goals we offer a different range of courses with different study tempo and length. There is a choice to study from between two-years full time to three and a half weeks in the evenings. We can also offer courses for those working as environmental communicators already, who want to meet others to be able to reflect and exchange experiences and learn new things. We also run a course for County administration, called “Dialogue for Nature Conservation”.
Here are some examples of questions that are discussed in our courses:
Some natural resources, for example water, are complex, transboundary and concern and include many different actors. These actors might have diverse interests and perspectives on the management and function of the resources. What happens when these different actors tries to manage a particular resource? How is contrasting kinds and aspects of knowledge treated? How can the NRM be organised in such a way that the management is carried out in a secure juridical way, in a democratic way which is also efficient and sustainable?
Some habits and consuming patterns are quite inappropriate in an environmental or sustainability perspective. How do organisations and authorities act when they want to change people’s behaviour? How can this be done to actually have an impact?
There are many actors in the natural resource management. To achieve change collaboration between actors; individual and organisations are needed. How can meetings be organised between people with different perspectives, interests, backgrounds and sometimes language and culture?
When managing natural resources conflicts will occur. You might feel attacked, attack or see how other actors attack each other. How can one act in these situations? How can conflicts be managed to be constructive rather than destructive?
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