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GEG-20046 - Module Specification
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023

GEG-20046 - Making Better Worlds
Coordinator: Clare Holdsworth Tel: +44 1782 7 33167
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733615

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23

We are facing a significant numbers of societal challenges at the moment, from climate emergency, health inequalities, refugee and migration crisis and race relations. Geographers and environmentalists are well placed to contribute positively to these challenges. This module will help you understand the critical and important contribution that we can all make towards a better world. This includes considering how different modes of activism and the distribution of social responsibilities are relevant to societal challenges. The module offers you the opportunity to reflect on how we are all involved in these challenges and how this responsibility can be acted upon. You will have the opportunity to reflect on responsibility and activism.

Aims
To examine how understandings of global societal challenges, such as climate emergency, health inequalities, migration and race relations, are coproduced between different stakeholders. These include governments, businesses NGOS, campaigners, community members.
To apply geographical and environmental perspectives to understanding societal challenges.
To examine different modes of activism and how these can be applied to a specific societal challenge.
To explore how responsibility for these problems is assumed and shared. Including how students themselves have the capacity to bring about change in their everyday and work lives.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Interpret modes of activism and how these are enacted by different social actors: 1,2
Evaluate the role of geographical and environmental perspectives in contributing to societal change: 2
Evaluate how responsibility for societal challenges is assumed and distributed: 2
Reflect on individual capacity to bring about change in relation to an identified societal challenge: 1
Assess how understandings of social responsibility and societal challenges are coproduced between different stakeholders: 1,2

Study hours

10 hours teaching sessions
10 hours seminars
10 hours independent research on societal challenges (supported by asynchronous learning)
50 hours revising relevant lecture material for assignments
70 hours independent research aimed at assignment completion

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Assignment weighted 50%
Podcast
Students will prepare a 10 minute podcast on the theme of responsibility with reference to a particular societal challenge (which will be agreed with the module coordinator). The podcast intended audience will be other students.

2: Individual Report weighted 50%
Case study of social responsibility and activism
Students will assess how social responsibility is distributed and enacted in relation to their chosen societal challenge. 2000 words

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 19 January 2023