“Environmental Communication is the planned and strategic use of communication processes to support effective policy-making and project implementation geared towards environmental sustainability.” (OECD)
Environmental policy focuses on issues arising from human impact on the natural environment. This course will examine how public policy is developed and the role played by different forms of communication in the policy processes, with a particular focus on contentious environmental issues. Most of the examples used will have a significant environmental component but the themes of the course are also broadly relevant to the development of other types of policy in politically pluralist societies such as Australia and the United States. The course will use public policy and communications activities in those countries as the starting point but students from elsewhere will be encouraged to make comparisons with their home countries. The nature of public opinion, and how it is shaped, will be examined along with a look at the impact of public opinion in the policy process. We will also look rise of environmental consciousness and the concept of sustainability, now a cornerstone of much public policy. Media such as newspapers, televisions, radio and the web in its various forms, including social media, will be examined along with other forms of communications such as citizen activism, public participation, political campaigning, advertising and public relations.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By the end of the course students will have learnt to critically assess:
- the processes through which environmental policy is developed, and related communications activities are conducted,
- the competing discourses relating to environmental policy,
- methods used by interests groups to influence environmental policy debates,
- government efforts to promote public participation and mobilise support for their policies, and
- ways that can be used by citizens to participate in public debates about environmental policy.
Indicative Assessment
25% for a series of 300 word pre-class commentaries on material to be discussed in class (to be handed in at the beginning of the relevant class session)
25% for a1000 word analysis of a significant environmental policy document, due in Week 2.
50% for a research essay or policy project.
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
Lectures, web based discussion and weekly tutorials
Prescribed Texts
Cox R 2015, Environmental
Communication and the Public Sphere, (4th edition) Sage, Los
Angeles.
Preliminary Reading
A reading brick will be available
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4050 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5760 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7453 | 27 Jul 2020 | 03 Aug 2020 | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Oct 2020 | In Person | View |
| 9767 | 27 Jul 2020 | 03 Aug 2020 | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Oct 2020 | Online | N/A |