Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2023-2024 (archived)

Module ANTH3947: Anthropological Skills for Climate Change Survival

Department: Anthropology

ANTH3947: Anthropological Skills for Climate Change Survival

Type Open Level 3 Credits 10 Availability Not available in 2023/24 Module Cap None. Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • ANTH2051 Politics and Economics OR ANTH2161 Kinship and Religion

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To develop an understanding of anthropological approaches to climate change.
  • To enable students to interrogate categories of thought and action linked to the challenges of climate change
  • To explore ethnographic studies of climate change in social worlds

Content

  • Developing anthropological perspectives
  • Culture and Climate in historical frames
  • The concept of Global Warming
  • The nexus of Energy-Food-Water in anthropological analyses
  • Environmental Governance and climate resilience in comparative perspective
  • Ethnographic Encounters
  • Anthropocene and Post-development
  • The Ends of the World in Pluriversal Times

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • At the end of the module, students will be able to:
  • Demonstrate advanced levels of current knowledge and intensive understanding in anthropological approaches to climate change research.
  • Deploy analytical skills specific to analysing and interpreting climate science, policy and ethics from a comparative cultural perspective.
  • Be competent in accessing and assimilating specialised climate research literature of an interdisciplinary character.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • In-depth knowledge of climate change research within social anthropology, with emphasis on interpretation and comprehensive understanding of ethnographic data.
Key Skills:
  • Preparation and effective communication of research methods, data, interpretation and arguments in written form.

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

  • Classes will integrate lecture, tutorial and online components.
  • Lecture elements will provide students with an outline of key knowledge and debates in the topic area, discuss the literature that students should explore, and provide relevant examples and cases studies.
  • Tutorial elements will develop topics introduced in lectures and required reading to analyse aspects or case studies in greater depth and to prepare students for their summative assignment.
  • Student preparation and reading time will allow engagement with specific references in advance of tutorials and general and particular reading related to the assessment, which will be a written assignment (a case study essay).

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Classes 15 Specified in module handbook 1 15
Preparation and Reading 85
Total 100

Summative Assessment

Component: Coursework Component Weighting: 100%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Assignment 2500 words 100%

Formative Assessment:

500 word review


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