- Student Records
Programme & Unit Catalogues

Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2007/08


EU50604 The politics of sustainability: risk, security and stability

Credits: 6
Level: Masters
Semester: 2
Assessment: ES100
Requisites:
Aims: The unit aims to:
* explore the different dimensions of the politics of sustainability;
* investigate how European Union politics and policy integrate these different dimensions;
* analyse the politics of sustainability within the context of international security and stability;
* examine how the EU contributes to the global politics of sustainability.
Learning Outcomes:
Students who have successfully completed this unit will:
* be able to analyse the politics of sustainability not simply as the management of environmental issues, but also as the politics of sustainable social relations, sustainable economy and sustainable peace;
* see the politics of sustainability as a major factor influencing and shaping international relations;
* have detailed knowledge about national sustainability programmes and the internationalisation of sustainability politics at European and international level;
* have detailed knowledge of political goals and actors and policy instruments shaping the politics of sustainability.
Skills:
The key skills the unit will hone and further develop are:
* Advanced research skills in identifying, locating and exploiting a wide range of descriptive, evaluative and theoretical literature.
* Intellectual skills of conceptual, original and independent thinking, critical analysis, synthesis and reasoned argument.
* Skills of assessment and judgement in relation to the soundness of competing arguments and scenarios, including the reporting and assessing of qualitative and quantitative data.
* Generic and transferable skills related to the oral and written presentation of ideas.
* Skills of self-direction, self-evaluation and time management.
Content:
Lectures and Seminars will cover the following main topics:
* Sustainability: A Contested Concept and its political dimensions
* Resource scarcity, resource conflicts and eco-terrorism in the World Risk Society
* Environment and Security: Environmental causes and consequences of military conflicts
* Achieving Sustainability: Policy Principles and Instruments
* Towards new patterns of production and consumption
* The Europeanisation of Environmental Politics
* International regimes and leadership conflicts between Europe and the US
* Environmental regulations and world trade
* Sustainability in the politics of the World Bank and the WTO
* Structural Adjustment Programmes as a source of conflict
* Socio-economic development paths and alternative futures.