Module SGIA3711: Climate, Nature and the Global Economy

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3711: Climate, Nature and the Global Economy

Prerequisites

• Any Level 2 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To critically explore the relationship between the global political economy, anthropogenic climate change, and environmental sustainability.
• To understand the multiple impacts of climate change on livelihoods, politics, and development.
• To explore the varieties of political responses to the environmental crisis proposed by states, international organisations, and social movements.
• To analyse and evaluate the key Political Economy theories that address the interaction between economy and nature.

Content

• The module will explore different approaches that have theorised the relationship between capitalism and the environment; and different issues in the global political economy where this relationship plays out.
• Indicative content may include:
• Debates about the political, social, and economic responses to the climate crisis;
• The role of natural resource extraction in the global political economy and its impact on the environment, livelihoods, and politics
• Environmental conflicts, and the significance of race, gender, and inequality in discussions about the environment;
• The economic and political impacts of the climate crisis on the developing world.

Learning Outcomes

• Through the module students will gain an understanding of:
• Current debates within Political Economy on the emergence of the Anthropocene – the geological era characterised by human transformations of the Earth’s systems;
• How various aspects of the global political economy – from fossil fuel usage, to industrial agriculture, to global built infrastructure – have impacted upon the natural environment;
• The impact of the climate crisis on livelihoods, politics, and economy in the developing world;
• Political, social, and economic responses to the challenges of the climate crisis, including global governance initiatives, carbon trading, the Green New Deal, and calls for de-growth.

• Students will also develop some subject specific skills, such as:
• Thinking critically about the environment and the economy;
• Engaging with interdisciplinary debates;
• Critically evaluating the political and economic responses to the climate crisis;
• Understanding the different Political Economy theories that inform the relationship between human activity and nature.

• Students will also develop some important key skills, suitable for underpinning study at this and subsequent levels, such as:
• Independent learning within a defined framework of study at an advanced level;
• Independent and critical analysis of existing scholarship on the subject area;
• Advanced essay-writing skills and ability to work to a deadline;
• Independent research and critical engagement with relevant data sources;
• Engaging critically in topical debates and discussion of current issues.

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

• Teaching will consist of one-hour lectures which will provide the core concepts and basic explanation of the theoretical approaches on the topic. They will also provide a historical account of the debates and issues being discussed and situate the topic within the literature.
• Seminars will provide an opportunity to both explore in more depth the concepts presented in the lecture, as well as to engage in a well-informed debate and both question the theoretical approaches presented by the literature and analyse them in light of empirical cases.
• The formative assessment will consist of one 1,500 review essay that will critically assess one of the academic sources from the reading list. This will allow students to develop their critical and independent thinking skills, and to engage more in-depth with the literature in a way that will contribute to the development of their summative assessments.
• The essay (2,000 words) will allow students to reflect on the implications of a proposal or approach of their choice to tackle climate change and will assess their capacity to analyse and evaluate policy responses informed by theoretical concepts and debates. The research essay (3,000 words) will allow students to engage more in-depth with one of the topics of the module. They will be able to demonstrate their capacity to engage critically with the relevant literature, as well as to conduct independent research and formulate a clear and well-structured argument.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

A review essay of 1,500 words that critically analyses one of the assigned readings.

■ 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