6 Summary of Week 1

In this first week of the course, you have been introduced to the climate and ecological crisis through three time perspectives. You then learned about a psychological approach to explore how difficult it is to face this unprecedented threat. You looked at the history of Modern humans’ relation to the Earth through an ecopsychological and non-Western lens and contrasted this with the way that consumerism, the driving force of capitalism, has shaped Modern human behaviour. You were introduced to the tendency of politics and traditional psychology to ‘individualise’ and ‘responsibilise’ individual behaviour change when change needs urgently to happen at every level. Finally, you were introduced to a global and climate justice perspective with the example of a young Pakistani-heritage climate activist.

Next week you will begin by asking why people and society still seem not to be facing unprecedented risk of climate change.

You can now go to Week 2..