The ISE online course Ecology, Democracy, Utopia introduces students to social ecology – an interdisciplinary body of ideas that examines social and ecological issues from a transformative and holistic perspective. Participants learn the foundations of social ecology and apply these insights to a variety of contemporary political and ecological problems, sharpening their understanding of the world while developing visionary ideas to change it. Through a combination of video lectures, readings, interactive forums, and weekly online discussion sessions, the course explores a broad range of interconnected themes:

• What is Social Ecology?

• Understanding Social Hierarchy and Domination

• What is Nature?

• Capitalism, Critique, Alternatives

• Technology, Agriculture, and Society

• Politics, Direct Democracy, and the State

• From Protest to Social Transformation

• Reconstructive Vision: Reclaiming Utopia

View full syllabus here: syllabus_EDU Seminar.

The course is available in two different formats. EDU Seminar is an 8-week seminar with weekly online classes; it is offered quarterly.

The next live seminar will start September 28, meeting weekly on Mondays at 1 pm EST through November 16th.

The course is also available in a self-directed format, EDU Flex, that features the same materials minus the fixed time commitment of the weekly live seminar (recordings of the lectures and discussions are available); it can be started at any time. There are no written assignments or grades for either course (except for Goddard students taking the course for credit), all participants receive a certificate of course completion.

The full seminar costs $80, the self-directed version costs $40 respectively. We try to make our programs affordable while also covering costs; payment plans and need-based scholarships are available. Complete the application form below to start the enrollment process, and please be sure to specify if you’re interested in the full seminar or self-directed version of the course – we’ll put you on a waiting list for the next full seminar if one isn’t presently scheduled.

Through our partnership with Goddard College, students who enroll in their low-residency BA program can earn college credit for the course; some students from other institutions have been able to take the course for credit via their home university as an independent study.

To enroll, complete the form below or write us at social-ecology@mail.mayfirst.org.

We look forward to learning and changing the world together!