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PAIS365 Politics and the Environment

Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study Online Level
Armidale Semester 2 Off Campus B - Internet access required
Armidale Semester 2 On Campus B - Internet access required
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites 12cp in Asian Societies or International Relations or Political and International Studies or Political Science or any 24cp or candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions PAIS465 or PAIS565
Notes

offered in even numbered years
Combined Units PAIS565 - Politics and the Environment
Coordinator(s) Anthony Lynch (alynch@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This is a unit in environmental politics. It divides into three parts. Part 1 explores the connection between politics and environmental resources (dependency, scarcity and plenty). Part 2 looks at how these general connections have manifested themselves in particular political forms, paying special attention to the formative role of technology and economics in this process. Part 3 looks at politics and the environment today. It considers the major issues - resource security, climate change, population growth - and the capacity of contemporary politics in its neo-liberal and neo-conservative forms to generate adequate responses to such challenges.
Materials No text required
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment
Title Exam Length Weight Mode No. Words
Assignment 1 60% 3000-4000
Assessment Notes
Research essay
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-5 GA: 1,2,4,5,6
Take Home Exam 40%
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-5 GA: 1,2,4,5,6

Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. exhibit an appreciation of the importance and complexity of the relationships between environmental resources and the conditions of political existence;
  2. have an historically informed view of the way that different societies, at different times and under differing technological and economic regimes, have dealt with (or have failed to have dealt with) their necessities on environmental security;
  3. show an understanding of the political challenges the environment confronts us with today;
  4. exhibit a critical awareness of the kinds of responses to such challenges likely to emerge under neo-liberal and neo-conservative political regimes;
  5. present coherent well-argued responses to these controversial issues in an essay format.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Knowledge of the political and international studies discipline will be taught through lectures and tutorials. It will be assessed through one written essay and an examination. 		True True
2 Communication Skills
Students will be taught communication skills through written and oral feedback on the written, online and participation component of the unit. Students studying on-campus will learn valuable communication skills through participation in tutorials (this will include debates and small group work). Students will be assessed on the style of writing, clarity of writing, expression and development of ideas, and referencing. Students will practice their communication skills through completing the assessment tasks (written through the essay). 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
Students will demonstrate an awareness of the global context of the subject area and they will develop an awareness of the need for tolerance and inter-cultural understanding. 		True True
4 Information Literacy
Students will be taught, and directed, to relevant literature and how to assess its validity. Students will be assessed (through the essays) on their ability to identify relevant literature, and on their ability to critically analyse the literature. 		True True
5 Life-Long Learning
Through completing the assessments, students will be provided with the necessary lifelong skills to be able to research, write and discuss social issues. These skills can be transferred to any discipline, and will be useful in any research positions. These attributes will be assessed in all of the assessments (written skills; analytical skills). In addition, students who attend tutorials will be provided with the skills to debate contentious topics and develop their understanding of a topic through group activities. 		True True
6 Problem Solving
Students will be assessed on their ability to deconstruct the essay question and to integrate theory and literature into their answer. Students will need to work out how to address the question and where the most appropriate material is to answer the question. 		True
7 Social Responsibility
Students will recognize social issues relevant to their subject area; students will be expected to use professional language and show sensitivity towards political standpoints, cultures or other groups in their written assessment 		True True
8 Team Work
Students will practice their teamwork skills through participating in tutorials, or online discussion postings. They will be required to discuss the weekly topics with their fellow students in a thoughtful and respectful manner (practice). 		True
   

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