Postgraduate Course: Understanding Environment and Development (PGGE11187)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The natural environment and human development are connected in ways that are increasingly being recognised by scientists, experts and community groups, living in the global South. At one level, global population growth is blamed for the degradation and destruction of environments and ecosystem services; however various political, economic and social factors also contribute in both positive and negative ways. This interdisciplinary course is core for the MSc Environment & Development, and places particular focus on countries in the global South, including:
- Environment and development issues as framed within the context of international development, poverty alleviation and global inequalities
- Critical attention to issues of access, justice, participation, politics, capitalism and consumerism
- The role of different actors (state, civil society, social movements) and the importance of scale and global interconnectedness, particularly when assessing the costs and benefits of approaches to sustainable development.
Through the course we shall consider the concept 'sustainable development', which aims to both protect the natural environment and deliver economic and material benefits to people living in poverty. There is no simple, single meaning of sustainable development and we will examine what it can mean in different contexts. The 11 sessions are organised around 4 cross-cutting themes; guiding principles, governance, environments and resources, adaptation and knowledge. Within these themes we explore issues such as environmental justice, biodiversity conservation, community participation, ecosystem services, urban environments, water politics, climate change, and indigenous environmental knowledge.
Each week, a formal lecture will be followed by in-depth consideration of a particular case-study. This will allow us to explore the meaning and relevance of debates introduced during the lectures and to connect realities on the ground. Through group discussion, we consider how issues of environment and development can be taken forward in the future. Guest lecturers will make a vital contribution to the course, drawing on their own research as case-studies.
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| Course description |
This is one of two core courses on the MSc in Environment and Development and combines explicitly environmental questions with those of development. It will provide vital knowledge, analytical skills and exposure to critical scholarship on core issues.
Explore the relationships between international institutions and policies and development work.
Introduce theories of environment and development ranging from community-based natural resource management, conservation and environmental protection, land grabs, the roles of the state in managing resources, environmental movements, political ecology and post-colonial approaches.
Probe issues of human and social development in relation to environmental issues
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2014/15, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 51 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
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Lecture Hours 33,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
163 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Course assessment will involve two tasks:
1. Group presentation and essay - Presentation 15 minutes, Essay length: 1,500 words, Deadline: week 9, Mark allocation: worth 50%
2. An essay - Essay length: 2,000 words, Deadline: week 11, Mark allocation: worth 50%
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- to expand students knowledge of current theoretical debates on environment-development issues
- to explore the intersections of social justice issues with the quest for economic growth.
- to gain an overview of the key theories of environment and development in circulation today
- to critically evaluate and differentiate approaches to environment-development questions from a variety of perspectives
- to apply theories of development to specific examples and understand how the model of development used is relevant to the environmental issues that emerge in that particular case.
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Reading List
Core course readings
Adams, W. M. (2001) Green Development. Environment and sustainability in a development world (3rd Edition). London, Routledge
Harvey, D. (1996) Justice, Nature and the Geography of Difference. Cambridge, MA, Blackwell
O'Lear, S. (2010) Environmental Politics. Scale and Power. University of Kansas
Peet, R. Hintz, J. & Moore, S.A. (2010) Environment and Society. Wiley-Blackwell
Peet, R. & M. Watts (2004) Liberation Ecologies: Environment, Development and Social Movements. 2nd edition. London, Routledge
Robbins, P. (2004) Political Ecology. A Critical Introduction. Malden, MA, Blackwell
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Environment, Development, Society |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Antonio Ioris
Tel: (0131 6)51 9090
Email: A.Ioris@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Natasa Honeybone
Tel: (0131 6)50 2572
Email: natasa.honeybone@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh - 12 January 2015 4:31 am
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