Module POL2101 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2101: Public Environmental Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to introduce the historical and contemporary character of environmentalism and sustainability as processes of public campaigning and political change. In so doing, it aims to introduce key scientific, philosophical and theoretical debates on the environment, alongside real world developments environmental policy and politics. It will equip students with the key skill to help them critically evaluate scientific and policy claims made in mass media coverage of environmental issues. The primary context will be the UK and the European Union, but the international scene will always be in evidence.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Understand the origins and evolution of green political thought 2. Critique the different ways in which environmental issues have been framed in public and policy arenas 3. Analyse the role and perspectives of multiple actors and perspectives on in environmental policy 4. Display knowledge of the complexities of addressing environmental policy across policy sectors and governance scales 5. Evaluate critically policy and public initiatives to tackle environmental problems 6. Recognise the difficulties of achieving meaningful environmental debates and global policy agreements |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 7. Think critically, analyse debates and present coherent arguments about environmental politics 8. Evaluate the effectiveness of and barriers to policy interventions 9. Understand processes of political contestation in the modern public sphere via lobbying, mass media, public engagement and policy formation |
| Personal and Key Skills | 10. Evaluate ideas and debates 11. Demonstrate critical media literacy skills search for, contextualize and evaluate mass media content 12. Present written material in a coherent and accessible manner 13. Work collaboratively in a group to produce a short film and evaluate others performance 14. Contribute productively and co-operatively to class discussions |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Histories of environmental politics and green political thought.
- Roles of the public sphere, mass media and environmental communication
- Campaigning: environmental social movements and NGOs
- Environmental publics, participatory governance and science-policy interfaces
- Policy frameworks: sustainable development?
- Policy instruments: regulation, markets & values
- Environmental governance in the UK and EU
- Global environmental politics
Throughout the course, these conceptual lenses will be used to help students investigate and understand topical issues in environmental politics such as air pollution, water, waste, land management; biodiversity, energy and climate change.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | 129 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 11 | 11 x 1 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 10 | 10 x 1 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 60 | Reading |
| Guided independent study | 39 | Assignment preparation: conducting research, critical analysis of literature & media content, and writing the case study |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Groupwork; preparation of video and writeup |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
House of Commons EAC: http://www.parliament.uk/eacom
United Nations Environment Programme: http://www.unep.org/
European Union: http://europa.eu/index_en.htm
For media sources, check the Library resources at http://libguides.exeter.ac.uk/az.php?t=24641 Box of Broadcasts, Gale News Vault and Nexis are particularly useful.
Web of Science allows you to conduct searches of all the major academic journals. You can find details of the Web of Science at: http://www.library.ex.ac.uk/guides/essentials/wos.pdf
Also google scholar is useful, particularly for finding OA copies of material not available through the library: http://scholar.google.co.uk
If you have any further questions please consult the Library staff.
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Core Texts:
Anderson, A (2016) Media, environment and the network society. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Connelly, J., Smith, G., Benson, D. & Saunders, C. (2012) Politics and the Environment. Routledge, Oxford.
Hansen, A. (2010). Environment, media and communication. Routledge.
Hilton, M., McKay, J., Crowson, N., &; Mouhot, J.(2013). The Politics of Expertise: How NGOs Shaped Modern Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Roberts, J. (2010). Environmental Policy. Routledge.
All are available as ebook editions from the library
Suggested readings will be listed for each seminar topic. Ideally, you should be aiming to read at least three items for each seminar (including the main reading). For your essays, you should be consulting a minimum of eight pieces.
Please keep in mind that module reading lists are only indicators of some relevant reading materials and you should browse the library shelves to find alternative sources that may give you a different perspective.
Much of the material we cover in this module can be accessed through journals. Journals can be accessed and read online at: http://lib.ex.ac.uk
Some of the main journals relevant to this module are: Global Environmental Change, Environmental Politics, Environment and Planning A/C, , Climate Policy; Environmental Communication; Public Understanding of Science
ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
