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PL30890: Environment, sustainability and democracy

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2015/6
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Further information on credits Credits: 6
Further information on unit levels Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Further information on teaching periods Period: Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 33%, ES 67%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework (CW 33%)
  • Essay (ES 67%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: Before taking this module you must take PL20385
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
This unit focuses on the relationship between environmental/sustainability politics and democratic politics. The main aims are:
* to explore what environmental politics (as opposed to natural science research into the biophysical environment) is actually about, i.e. to explore the competing ways in which eco-political actors frame their respective issues of concern;
* to investigate how environmental and sustainability politics link into emancipatory-democratic agendas;
* to study the appeal and utility of non-democratic or even authoritarian styles of eco-political government.

Learning Outcomes:
Students who complete the unit successfully will be able to demonstrate:
* a clear grasp of different eco-political theories and competing conceptualisations of nature, the environment and sustainability;
* familiarity with the development and ongoing reconfiguration of eco-political discourses over the fast few decades;
* ability to understand and contribute to contemporary debates about the advantages and drawbacks of democratic policy approaches to issues of sustainability.

Skills:
Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken academic discourse, exercise of independent judgement, reasoned argument, teamwork and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are developed and assessed in this unit.

Content:

* Competing notions of nature, the environment and sustainability;
* Competing conceptualisations of what constitutes an environmental problem;
* Competing understandings of the relationship between environmental and emancipatory-democratic politics;
* Environment and sustainability in the post-democratic constellation;
* non-democratic and authoritarian approaches to sustainability policy.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

PL30890 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Economics
  • UHES-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics (Year 3)
  • UHES-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • UHPL-AYB13 : BA(Hons) French and Politics with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB12 : BA(Hons) German and Politics with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB16 : BA(Hons) Italian ab inito and Politics with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB14 : BA(Hons) Italian and Politics with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AFB30 : BSc(Hons) Politics and International Relations (Year 3)
  • UHPL-AAB30 : BSc(Hons) Politics and International Relations with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AKB30 : BSc(Hons) Politics and International Relations with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Politics with Economics (Year 3)
  • UHPL-AAB10 : BSc(Hons) Politics with Economics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Politics with Economics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AFB29 : BSc(Hons) Politics with International Relations (Year 3)
  • UHPL-AKB29 : BSc(Hons) Politics with International Relations with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB15 : BA(Hons) Russian ab inito and Politics with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHPL-AYB17 : BA(Hons) Spanish and Politics with Year Abroad (Year 4)

Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2015/16 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2016/17 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2015/16.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.