|
 Academic Year:
| 2013/4 |
| Owning Department/School:
| Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies |
| Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7) |
| Period: |
Semester 2 |
| Assessment:
| CW 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| |
| Description:
| Aims: The unit aims to: * explore the different dimensions of the politics of sustainability; * investigate the role of key regional actors (such as the EU and the USA) in promoting sustainability and enhancing environmental security; * investigate how environmental security issues contribute to changes in international relations in the contemporary period. Learning Outcomes: Students who have successfully completed this unit will: * be able to analyse the politics of sustainability in relation to the management of environmental issues and to the development of sustainable social and economic relations; * understand how environmental security is a major factor in shaping international relations; * have detailed knowledge about national sustainability programmes and the internationalisation of sustainability politics; * have detailed knowledge of political actors, their goals, instruments and behaviour in shaping the politics of sustainability. Skills: The key skills the unit will hone and further develop are: * Advanced research skills in identifying, locating and exploiting a wide range of descriptive, evaluative and theoretical literature. * Intellectual skills of conceptual, original and independent thinking, critical analysis, synthesis and reasoned argument. * Skills of assessment and judgement in relation to the soundness of competing arguments and scenarios, including the reporting and assessing of qualitative and quantitative data. * Generic and transferable skills related to the oral and written presentation of ideas. * Skills of self-direction, self-evaluation and time management. Content: Lectures and seminars will cover the following main themes: * Sustainability: the political dimensions of a contested concept. * Environment and security: causes and consequences of environmental risk. * Resource scarcity, resource conflicts and eco-terrorism. * The geopolitics of energy sourcing. * The international politics of climate change. * International environmental regimes and leadership conflicts between the EU, the USA and other key actors. |
| Programme availability: |
PL50604 is Optional on the following programmes:Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
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