Courses / Module

From climate change to toxic pollution, the distribution of environmental harms and the resources to deal with them are spatially unequal. At one level, this is obvious. What is not so obvious is how these spatial and environmental injustices have been produced and reproduced over time. Spatial and environmental injustice is inseparable from a deeper understanding of colonialism, racism, patriarchy and class inequality. Taking an historical and theoretical approach is necessary to make sense of these many layered and intersectional geographies of in/justice.

As well as seeking to critically interrogate spatial justice today, this module aims to do two things: first, to create a dialogue between critical concepts in the literature and the Irish context: how can our understanding of spatial and environmental justice in Ireland be broadened and deepened through an engagement with places and experiences that seem at first glance far removed from here? Second, to learn from Irish-based community organisers, activists and practitioners whose work challenges different forms of spatial and environmental injustice today: how can the place-based work of these individuals and communities help us to imagine more just, sustainable futures on the island?

This module will introduce students to key texts, concepts, writers, and artists working on questions of spatial and environmental justice. Class-based discussions and guest talks will examine the political, ethical, and aesthetic challenges of fostering hopeful politics in a time of environmental crisis, reactionary politics, and deepening global inequalities, with a particular focus on Irish-based artistic and activist interventions.