Postgraduate Course: Energy Policy and Politics (10 credit version) (PGSP11133)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course provides a broad introduction to social and policy issues in energy, with the emphasis on important current topics, particularly in resource use, technological innovation and environmental impacts. It covers a range of primary energy forms, conversion systems, domains of use, problems and controversies. It deploys and critically reflects on a variety of perspectives from social science disciplines and from interdisciplinary fields like science and technology studies. It focusses particularly on the knowledge claims made about current and future energy provision and the knowledge used in evaluating options and making decisions on energy and environment matters. It develops some familiarity and experience with techniques and procedures used in policy analysis and formulation, decision-making and assessment. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | none |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | none |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| King's Buildings | Lecture | Lecture Theatre 1, DRB | 2-11 | | 09:00 - 12:00 | | | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will have demonstrated through written work, oral presentations and other contributions in class, that they:
- have a substantive knowledge and understanding of a selection of important policy and social issues in energy, and of the contending viewpoints and claims on these issues;
- can identify and characterise key approaches from social science disciplines and from interdisciplinary fields like science and technology studies to understanding and evaluating energy issues, and identify advantages, problems and implications of these approaches;
- can critically evaluate contributions to the academic and public debates on energy issues, and decisions on them;
- can identify, deploy and evaluate a selection of techniques and procedures used in energy policy analysis, decision-making and assessment;
- can apply these understandings and skills, and deploy some of these approaches, concepts and techniques, in analysing a new problem in energy policy, and in devising, evaluating and justifying options for intervention;
- have developed their skills
- in finding and using arguments and information;
- in critically evaluating such material; and
- in essay writing |
Assessment Information
| One paper of 2000 words. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Coal, oil, gas: the economics and geopolitics of primary energy resources
Week 3: Structure, strategy, policy, regulation: the organisation and governance of energy provision
Week 4: New technologies: understanding innovation and adoption in energy systems
Week 5: Using energy: analysing and changing consumption patterns and practices
Week 6: Sun, wind, sea: renewable energy sources and technologies
Week 7: Debating and evaluating energy options and futures
Week 8: Environmental impacts
Week 9: Risks of energy systems
Week 10: From here to there: transitions to sustainability |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Recommended textbooks:
I Scrase & G MacKerron (eds.), Energy for the Future: a New Agenda, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2009
C Mitchell, The Political Economy of Sustainable Energy, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2008 |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
The first two hours of each class will be a mixture of lectures, exercises, open discussions of readings, and other activities. Student presentations and other activities will be held in smaller groups in the last hour. You will be able to choose on the day which presentations you attend. |
| Keywords | energy, policy, politics, innovation |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | Miss Madina Howard
Tel: (0131 6)51 1659
Email: Madina.Howard@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 16 January 2012 6:36 am
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