Available online in PDF format here
SD 3800 VOICES IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Spring 2025
T, Th 9:30-10:45 am (I.G. Greer Hall 214), 11:00-12:15 pm (I.G. Greer Hall 222)
Dr. Anatoli Ignatov
E-mail: anatoli@appstate.edu
Office: LLA 133 or Zoom Office Hours
Office hours: M 2-3 pm, Th 3:30 – 4:30 pm, or by appt.
Course Catalog Description
This course examines landmark texts and traditions of thought in the field of sustainable development. Students examine how authors take up and interweave central threads of thinking and action in the fields of development and environmental protection. We pay special attention to the lived experiences of people who struggle for self-determination and justice across multiple scales of socio-ecological life. Selected texts highlight the influence of diverse voices in discourses of sustainable development as they explore concepts such as identity and belonging, the good life, writing as a form of political engagement, and the role of language and culture in shaping habits of mind.
Course Overview
This course is an introduction to seven classic texts in the field of sustainable development. We will read these books to examine competing concepts of sustainability, equity, power, and collectivity: What do we mean by sustainable development? What or who is to be sustained: development itself or the integrity of ecosystems and livelihoods? What does it mean to “develop”? “Develop” into what? How do we know when “development” has finally been attained? And who decides? What is the relationship between sustainable development and different cultural perceptions of the environment? What is the relationship between sustainability, politics, and justice? How are publics formed? What should be the locus of “sovereignty,” i.e., the source of the power to make legitimate and binding decisions in the process of building sustainable societies? Is there any defensible role for violence in the politics of sustainable development, or should it be avoided?
We will read Thoreau, Gandhi, Fanon, Sankara, Silko, Neidjie, and Butler with an eye toward how their texts engage in political experimentation at multiple scales of socio-ecological life: personal, community, regional, national, global. A key target of these experiments is the human self, conceived both as an individual and as a member of larger human and nonhuman communities. What techniques does each thinker use to foster allegiance to her preferred model of sustainability, polity, and collective life? We will examine the rhetorical effect of these texts upon their audiences, and we will consider how each thinker sees the role of lived experience in struggles for self-determination and social/ecological justice. Our goal is to become more alert to how the stories we tell ourselves about nature and humanity shape our collective identities as political beings. We will examine the role of perception and aesthetic experiences in envisioning sustainable societies free from colonial, racial, gendered, and economic inequalities. Can the ecological crisis be understood as a crisis of human habits of perception? As a crisis of the habits of Western imperialism? Can these habits be transformed by recrafting our everyday practices of thinking and living? Can they be altered by creating new stories about our interdependencies with the land, plants, and animals?
We will pair each book with media to highlight the multiplicity of genres through which conversations about sustainability take place around the world. In addition to textual analysis, interpretation, and arguments, we will enlist images, sounds and storytelling to highlight neglected non-Western and indigenous approaches to sustainable development. We will explore the kinship between activism, sustainability, and the arts: Can poets, medicine men, and elders play a role in encouraging (an intelligent? economically just? pluralist? ) sustainable society? Can storytelling and nature-writing help to revive a robust culture of environmentalism in the U.S. and globally? What are the limits of such practices? What can art, ritual, fiction, and fantasy teach us about collective life that more traditional forms of ethics, economics, and politics cannot?
This is a discussion-based and writing-intensive course with a significant reading load. This is a junior-level “writing-in-the-disciplines” (WID) course for all majors in Sustainable Development.
Course Objectives
1) to examine the wide variety of discourses of sustainable development and to gain cross-cultural understanding of the ways in which the relationship between people and nature appears differently to diverse constituencies around the world
2) to examine the power relationships and inequalities that are reproduced or challenged in discourses of sustainable development
3) to foster students’ critical thinking, interpretation, discussion, and writing skills by stretching the bounds of conceptual thought and by nurturing an ability to construct a persuasive argument while listening attentively to other points of view
4) to explore the role of literature, art, and oral histories as agents of empowerment for social and ecological change
Required Course Texts
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2000.
Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth, with forward by Homi K. Bhabha and a preface by Jean-Paul Sartre. New York: Grove Press, 2005.
Gandhi, M.K. Hind Swaraj and Other Writings, edited by Anthony J. Parel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Neidjie, Bill. Gagudju Man. Marleston, SA: Gecko Books, 2007.
Sankara, Thomas. Thomas Sankara Speaks: The Burkina Faso Revolution 1983-1987, edited by Michel Prairie. New York: Pathfinder, 2007.
Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony, introduction by Larry McMurtry. New York: Penguin Deluxe Edition, 2006.
Thoreau, Henry D. Walden and Other Writings, edited by Brooks Atkinson. New York: Modern Library, 2000.
The books can be purchased online from vendors such as Alibris, Biblio, Bookshop, Indiebound, Powell’s, Better World Books, Book Outlet and a number of other ethical alternatives to Amazon. Electronic editions of Thoreau’s Walden and Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj and Other Writings are also available at the ASU Library.
The rest of the course readings, with the exception of the assignments from the required texts, are available on the course blog.
Required Films and Media
You will be required to watch seven films as mandatory coursework: No Impact Man, A Force More Powerful, The Battle of Algiers, Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man, Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action, Ten Canoes, and Pumzi. All of the movies for the course will be available at the ASU Library for streaming online.
Requirements and Assignments
Participation and Attendance (20%)
Participation is essential and regular attendance is mandatory. This is a reading, writing, and discussion intensive course. You may miss a total of 3 classes before your participation grade will be negatively affected. Each week students are expected to critically engage the texts and the media and participate actively in discussion, drawing on insights and theories gained in previous weeks. This means that you are expected to show up prepared with the text in hand or on your screen and with all other electronic devices turned off; that you attend each class having read or watched the assignments beforehand; that you interact effectively, listen attentively, and engage in lively, respectful debates and conversations with others; that you take notes and try to raise challenging and probing questions about the material at hand; and that you demonstrate that you understand (or are at least you are trying to understand) the key course themes, issues, and arguments.
Note on Religious Observances: A minimum of two absences is authorized per year for religious observances. Up to two absences for such observances will be excused, without penalty, provided that a notice has been given by the student before the absence occurs and no later than three weeks after the start of the semester in which the absence(s) will occur. Arrangements will be made to make up work missed by these religious observances. For the purposes of this policy, ASU defines the term “religious observance” to include religious holidays, holy days, or similar observances associated with a student’s faith that require absence from class.
Note: The course blog for this class will contain important information throughout the semester, as well as providing a place for further student discussion and sharing information. The blog is an important element of the course, and thus is not optional.
Weekly Discussion Questions (15%)
Our agenda for class discussion will be generated jointly by all members of the class. During eight weeks this semester you need to come up with, develop, refine, and write, 1 or 2 seminar questions, either individually or as members of assigned groups. The idea of a seminar question is to generate discussion, debate, and engaged conversation. It is to step back for a moment and think productively about the readings and films. Thus, the question needs to avoid being so general that it does not focus on the readings and to avoid being so specific that it does not spur discussion. For example, the question may ask us to respond to a selected quotation from the course texts, crystallize key themes, relate the readings to other texts, films, and themes in the course, or prompt us to reflect together on the style of the texts and the moods they induce in you or their broader audiences. Discussion questions must be posted on the course blog by midnight each Wednesday.
Take-Home Essay Exam (20%)
The exam will consist of essay questions that ask students to put into conversation selected course thinkers and to compare and contrast their key ideas. Students will receive a list of prospective essay questions to review prior to the exam. The exam answers should go beyond mere “reading comprehension” and demonstrate that you can follow the logic of the course thinkers’ works and to formulate your own. They may require you to summarize an argument but to do so in your own words, without extraneous clauses, verbosity, or awkward formulations. Rather, aim to synthesize an argument and explicate its logic. Some of the questions may give you the chance to elaborate on the meanings and implications of a text in relation to contemporary events and issues.
Soundscape Assignment (10%)
Pick a particular location that includes both natural and man-made sounds. Go to the location, sit and take note of all the sounds that you hear for 20-30 minutes. Write a short (1 page) analysis of the location’s soundscape, why you chose it, how other people or beings might experience it, what happens there, what makes it unique ecologically. Try to be attentive to the extent to which the soundscape reflects the clash, connection, or overlap of natural and built environments. Consider making a 30 second video/audio recording and/or taking photographs to support the claims that you are making in your analysis. More information will be provided on the course blog.
Creative Response (10 %)
Near the end of the semester, you are asked to produce a creative visual response to one of the course texts and an issue in sustainable development engaged by the text. You will select the text to which you respond, and you will present your response to the class on the assigned days. The response could be something you find that was created by someone else, such as a photograph or a sculpture, or it could be something you create, such as a drawing or a short video. The response must be accompanied by a brief written explanation (1 page) of the points of contact between the text and the particular artistic representation.
Final Paper (25%)
The final assignment asks you to write a guided paper putting into conversation two or three of the course thinkers on a theme of your choice, 8-10 double-spaced pages, due via e-mail on the assigned day. I require that you discuss the paper’s topic, structure, and argument with me beforehand. Detailed paper guidelines may be found on the course blog. I encourage you to consider designing your final paper project in a style that best suits your objectives. In other words, you will not be confined to the format of an individual scholarly paper, and I would be happy to discuss alternative possibilities such as writing a story, blending multi-media and art with scholarly writing, etc.
Papers turned in late will be penalized one-half letter grade per day late unless accompanied by a legitimate, verifiable excuse. Illness must be substantiated with a doctor’s note. Last-minute computer problems or poor time management are not a legitimate reason for lateness.
Grading
Students’ final grades will be based on:
1. Participation and attendance: 20%
2. Take-home exam: 20%
3. Soundscape assignment: 10%
4. Creative response: 10%
5. Weekly questions: 15%
6. Final paper: 25%
Office Hours
I enjoy and prioritize meeting with students outside of class to discuss issues pertaining to class, readings, assignments, or other topics of interest. If possible, please make time to meet during office hours. If these times do not work, feel free to email me to set up a time that does. If you make an appointment and then do not show up, I cannot guarantee I will be able to re-schedule our meeting in a timely fashion.
Email Etiquette
All email correspondence should be professional, and include a salutation (“Dear Dr. Ignatov,” for example). While I am happy to clarify assignments via email, please do not email me regarding information that can easily be found on the syllabus, course website, or assignment sheets.
Academic Integrity Code and Disability Resources
Please become familiar with the information on this website. It contains important information about Academic Integrity, Disability Resources, Title IX Protections and Reporting, Attendance Policy (including religious observances and emergency absences), Academic Freedom, and Student Engagement with Courses.
Academic Freedom
Per the Faculty Handbook, it is the policy of Appalachian State University to support and encourage within the law full freedom of inquiry, discourse, teaching, research, and publication for all members of the academic staff of this institution. Appalachian State University will not penalize or discipline members of the faculty because of the exercise of academic freedom in the lawful pursuit of their respective areas of scholarly and professional interest and responsibility.
Statement on Homelessness and Food Insecurity
Any student who has difficulty accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, is urged to contact the Dean of Students, for a list of resources and support. The Mountaineer Food Hub and Free Store is a free resource with pantry and personal care items, located in the Office of Sustainability on the bottom floor of East Hall. There are also other campus pantries in the following locations: Belk Library, College of Education, Garwood Hall, Leon Levine, and College Access and Success in DD Dougherty. Furthermore, please notify an instructor if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable your instructor to assist you with finding the resources you may need. For more information, click here.
COURSE OUTLINE
WEEK ONE
January 14 Course Introduction
Reading: This syllabus (Read this syllabus, start to finish, carefully. Is this the right class for you? What are your course objectives? How do you plan to achieve them? Do you have any concerns that should be discussed early in the semester with the instructor?)
January 16 Sustainability, Peace, and Development: Contrasting Worldviews
Reading: Wangari Maathai’s Nobel Lecture, Oslo, December 10, 2004
Read Martin Luther King’s Speech, “The Three Evils of Society,” National Conference on New Politics, August 31, 1967
Linda Clarkson et al. “Our Responsibility to the Seventh Generation” in The Post-Development Reader, ed. Majid Rahnema and Victoria Bawtree. London: Zed Books, 1997, pp. 40-50 (link)
WEEK TWO
January 21 Introduction to Henry David Thoreau
Reading: “Economy” in Walden
Recommended reading: “Return to Concord” in Robert D. Richardson Jr.’s Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 3-42 (link)
January 23 Reading: Walden, “Economy,” and “Where I Lived…”
View: Thoreau’s Cabin Redux: Tiny Homes and Happiness
WEEK THREE
January 28 Reading: Walden, “Sounds,” “Solitude,” “The Bean-Field,” and “Higher Laws”
Recommended reading: Chapter 2 “Techniques of the Self” in Jane Bennett’s Thoreau’s Nature: Ethics, Politics, and the Wild. New York: Rowman and Littlefield, 2002, pp. 16-46 (link)
January 30 Reading: Walden, “Conclusion,” “Slavery in Massachusetts” and “A Plea for Captain John Brown”
View: No Impact Man (2008), directed by Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein (group weekly questions)
WEEK FOUR
February 4 Introduction to M.K. Gandhi
Reading: Hind Swaraj, “Preface” to “The Condition of India: the Hindus and the Mahomedans”
February 6 Reading: Hind Swaraj, “The Condition of India: lawyers” to “Conclusion”
View: A Force More Powerful (2000), directed by Steve York
WEEK FIVE
February 11 Reading: Hind Swaraj and Other Writings, “Letter to Lord Ampthill,” “Gandhi-Nehru Letters,” “Economic Development and Moral Development,” “Gandhi on Machinery 1919-47,” “Constructive programme: its meaning and place (1941)”
Reading: Gandhi, “Theory of Trusteeship” and “Trusteeship – Not a Legal Fiction”
February 13 Introduction to Frantz Fanon
Reading: Wretched of the Earth, Preface by Sartre and part I
SOUNDSCAPE ASSIGNMENT DUE (SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23)
WEEK SIX
February 18 Reading: Wretched of the Earth, part II
February 20 Reading: Wretched of the Earth, part III
View: The Battle of Algiers (1966), directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
WEEK SEVEN
February 25 Reading: Wretched of the Earth, part IV
February 27 Introduction to Thomas Sankara
Reading: Thomas Sankara Speaks, “Building a New Society” and “Freedom Must Be Conquered”
TAKE HOME ESSAY QUESTIONS DISTRIBUTED
WEEK EIGHT
March 4 Reading: Thomas Sankara Speaks, “Dare to Invent the Future” and “Imperialism is the Arsonist of our Forests and Savannas”
View: Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man (2006), directed by Robin Shuffield
March 6 Reading: Thomas Sankara Speaks, “What is the Nonaligned Movement Doing?” “The Revolution Cannot Triumph without the Emancipation of Women,” and “A United Front Against the Debt”
TAKE-HOME EXAM DUE
WEEK NINE
March 10-14 NO CLASSES: SPRING BREAK
WEEK TEN
March 18 Introduction to Leslie Marmon Silko
Reading: Ceremony, pp. 1-58
March 20 Reading: Ceremony, pp. 59-105
WEEK ELEVEN
March 25 Reading: Ceremony, pp. 105-163
March 27 Reading: Ceremony, pp. 164-201
View: Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action (2005), directed by Roberta Grossman
WEEK TWELVE
April 1 Reading: Ceremony, pp. 202-243
April 3 Introduction to Bill Neidjie
Reading: Gagudju Man, pp. 17-56 (link)
View: Ten Canoes (2006), directed by Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr
WEEK THIRTEEN
April 8 Introduction to Octavia Butler
Reading: Parable of the Sower, Chapters 1-6
April 10 Reading: Parable of the Sower, Chapters 7-13
WEEK FOURTEEN
April 15 Reading: Parable of the Sower, Chapters 14-18
April 17 Reading: Parable of the Sower, Chapters 19-25
View: Pumzi (2010), directed by Wanuri Kahiu (group weekly questions)
WEEK FIFTEEN
April 22 Creative Response Due; Presentations
April 24 Creative Response Due; Presentations
WEEK SIXTEEN
April 29 Concluding Thoughts
May 8 FINAL PAPER/PROJECT DUE
SD 3800 Voices in Sustainable Development 