Module description
Environmental questions have been at the heart of Geography's disciplinary identity for the last century or more. This course will introduce some of the questions that geographers have sought to tackle, at the same time as drawing out some of the key issues for environmental politics and policy. How we make sense of nature matters not only for the kind of environment we want to be a part of, but also for our sense of the political possibilities within the world. From the crudest hierarchies to the most virulent forms of racism, deep social injustices have been built and justified on the grounds that they are the natural order of things. Nevertheless, efforts to reject a naturalised view of the world also risk neglecting the importance of non - humans within our world. If we assume that humans are the only species that can bring about change in the world, we demonstrate a naive lack of regard for the environments of which we are a part. From the draining of the Aral Sea to more recent dilemmas associated with Global Environmental Change, there are numerous examples of the catastrophes that emanate from such a disregard for other life forms. Somehow, a position needs to be achieved that recognises the influence of human and non - human on one another. Articulating such a position has been one of the central tasks of society - environment geographers for much of the discipline's existence and will be our focus in this series of lectures.
What are the past, current, and future courses of environmental movements in an age of environmental managerialism, market triumphalism and media - ted politics? This module looks to explore environmental thought, practice, and politics from a number of different philosophical perspectives and instances of environmental politics. It introduces students to a range of theoretical and policy - driven conceptualisations of the environment, environmental problems and solutions at local, regional, and global scales. In particular, it looks to address the thinking behind current environmental movements, politics and environmental management schemes in order to offer a critical understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of past, modern, and future environmentalisms.
Learning will be promoted through a number of concrete case studies used to illustrate the multitude of the philosophical under - pinnings of past, current and possible future approaches to 'real world' environmental management across local, regional, national, and international scales. Students will also learn to utilise a number of different media forms (texts, visuals, radio, documentaries) to explore the connections between environmental philosophy, geographic concepts, and environmental management and politics. Finally, students (in assigned groups) will be able to successfully prepare, present and lead a group discussion based on a given topic as well as orally present an individual research project to their peers.
Assessment details
Group presentation (15%); 3000 word Essay (85%)
Educational aims & objectives
This module presents one of the most vibrant fields of research around the environment. Put most simply, political ecology sets out to understand the politics shaping human-environment relations. The module will begin by introducing political ecology as a distinctive approach to environmental questions. It will then turn to core concepts that are used by political ecologists in their efforts to make sense of the environment. The final part of the module will turn to concrete areas of research that political ecologists have focused on such as access to water, energy transitions and urbanisation.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, you will be able to identify the key questions that have guided research in political ecology, while also being able to challenge some of the more simplistic and Eurocentric origin stories for the field. You will be able to explain key political ecological concepts on power, scale and nature. Finally, you will be able to put these concepts to work in better understanding key questions around the distribution of water, access to energy, and processes of urbanisation
Teaching pattern
10 x 2 hours lectures/seminars,
Module structure
This module is delivered in weekly lectures combined with seminars and class discussion around the following structure
1. Discovering political ecology
2. Power
3. Scale
4. Nature
5. Urbanisation
6. Water
7. Energy
8. Fields and forests
9. Virtual political ecology
10. Group presentations