Ecotopian Visions ENST-3370-01/02 (45632/45633)

From time immemorial people have longed for and sought to manifest human societies that exist in a harmonious balance with the natural environment. Sometimes this takes the form of a pristine Edenic vision of a simpler time, implying that such a paradise may not be attainable in a more complex world. On the other hand, many treatments of these matters cast the project squarely within the framework of contemporary conditions including environmental degradation and sociopolitical conflict, viewing these “ecotopian visions” as a direct response to the challenges and crises emerging in the modern era. From communal experiments and direct-action movements, to vivid literary and visual portrayals, the concept of ecotopia has continued to animate visions and inspire actions. In this course we will pull on these ecotopian strands through works of fiction and nonfiction, film and video, and grounded exploration of communities of practice in the field, seeking to fully appreciate the continuing relevance of a concept that the New York Times once called (in 2008) both “obscure and widely influential at the same time.”