Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
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. These include: social movements, protest, volunteering, petitioning, ethical consumption and social enterprise. 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, volunteers, 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: 1,2Evaluate the role of geographical and environmental perspectives in contributing to societal change: 1,2Evaluate how responsibility for societal challenges is assumed and distributed: 1,2Reflect on individual capacity to bring about change in relation to an identified societal challenge: 1,2Assess how understandings of social responsibility and societal challenges are coproduced between different stakeholders: 1,2
20 hours interactive lectures9 hours seminars9 hours structured engagement with online resources (podcasts)42 hours revising relevant lecture material for assignments70 hours independent research aimed at assignment completion
Description of Module Assessment
1: Assignment weighted 50%PodcastStudents will prepare a 10 minute podcast on a specific case study of activism. The podcast intended audience will be other students.
2: Essay weighted 50%Essay on current topics in activismStudents will choose 2 questions from a choice of 8 on current topics in activism. Responses to these questions will engaged with specific literature. 2000 words (1000 words for each question)