Module SOCI3451: Nature, Environment and Society

Department: Sociology

SOCI3451: Nature, Environment and Society

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To provide students with a conceptual framework for understanding the relationships between nature, the environment and society
• To support students in developing skills to apply these conceptual tools to the analysis of social definitions of nature, landscapes, environment, instruments and animals

Content

• In the module we will focus on key concepts and issues:
• The relationships between social order and natural order
• Nature and Modernity
• Risk, technology and the environment
• The invention, transformation and uses of the countryside
• The social production and management of landscapes
• Expertises and the management of natural resources
• The role of animals in society
• Environment, policy and public culture

Learning Outcomes

• To demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between social processes and natural environments and entities
• To be able to employ sociological concepts and theories to critically analyse issues related to the environment, natural resources and land use in contemporary society
• To be able to construct an argument that takes into account the role of power, expertise and culture in academic and public debates about nature and the environment

• To evaluate sociological arguments and evidence about the relationship between environment, nature and society.
• Undertake and present work within the subject in a scholarly fashion.
• Be able to convey, both orally and in writing, the meaning of abstract methodological concepts with relevance to the issues identified.
• Perceive the relevance of, and relate their sociological knowledge to issues related to the environment, natural resources and land use in contemporary society.

• Participation in group activities and tasks.
• Bibliographic skills, ability to plan workload and manage time
• Communicate effectively in writing (in written, timed examinations and essays)

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures introduce students to basic concepts, theories in the field of nature, environment and society as well as discuss key topics/issues in contemporary society.
• Learning will be supported by a detailed reading list and students will be encouraged to develop their learning skills in relation to note-taking, wider reading and further study.
• Seminars/ workshops will support students learning and understanding of theories and concepts.
• A field-day will support students application of those concepts to the reality of concrete situations and circumstances. This will be complemented by group work relating to the fieldwork.
• A summative essay will focus on the fieldwork and assess students’ ability to interpret and develop theoretical concepts in relation to particular examples.
• A summative unseen exam will assess students’ understanding of key concepts and topics discussed in the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Essay plan with individual written comments and verbal feedback provided in Seminar 2. Optional

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University