Module POLM073 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM073: Political Economy of Food and Agriculture
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
Food and agriculture have become major issues in contemporary politics and economics and central concerns in discussions over sustainability. This module looks at the political economy of the global agri-food systems, including how food is produced, processed, transported, distributed, regulated and consumed. The main theoretical approaches to studying the political economy of food and sustainable agriculture are explored so as to provide students with the conceptual tools to develop critical awareness of the cultural, political and economic context of food. Specifically, the module aims to:
Examine the structure, economics and politics of the contemporary agro-food system.
Provide a critical examination of the emergence of ideas of food security and sustainable agriculture in policy discourses.
Consider the principles and processes that underlie policy-making and policy delivery for agro-food security and sustainability.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Understanding of the development of the agro-food system. 2. Awareness of core concepts in the study of the political economy of food, food consumption and the regulation of food. 3. Empirical knowledge of particular examples of sustainable food systems, including those associated with food security, the environment, health, safety and livelihoods. 4. Knowledge of the development of policy and planning agendas for encouraging sustainable agro-food systems 5. A comprehensive understanding of reciprocal relationships between theoretical and practical understandings of policy and sustainability |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 6. Critically evaluate core concepts 7. Present coherent and well structured arguments informally in class and through assignments. 8. Find, use and analyse a range of material in their assignments 9. Apply theoretical arguments and concepts to the analysis of empirical case studies |
| Personal and Key Skills | 10. Deliver presentations to peers 11. Communicate effectively in informal class discussions 12. Read with a critical eye and evaluate the ideas being expressed 13. Research & critically evaluate ideas and debates 14. Write clearly and coherently 15. Use ELE appropriately |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation in seminars | Weekly | 1-13 | Verbal feedback |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | 0 | 10 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First essay | 40 | 2,000 words | 1-15 | Written feedback |
| Second essay | 40 | 2,000 words | 1-15 | Written feedback |
| Presentation | 10 | 15-20 minutes | 1-13 | Verbal and or written feedback |
| Presentation report | 10 | 1-2 pages | 1-15 | Written feedback |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| First essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-15 | Next reassessment period |
| Second Essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-15 | Next reassessment period |
| Presentation | Presentation | 1-13 | Next reassessment period |
| Presentation report | Presentation report | 1-15 | Next reassessment period |
