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BI3507: SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT (2023-2024)

Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:35


Course Overview

• You will be trained in broad environmental thinking required to understand complex, contemporary environmental problems.
• Following a text will immerse you in ways of thinking about environment-society relations, critical consideration of different perspectives and gain experience with interpretive tools.
• By preparing and presenting a case study you will engage in the co-production of knowledge.
• Nine objects of concern are available as case studies (E.g., carbon dioxide; trees; wolves; uranium; tuna; lawns; bottled water; French fries; and, e-waste).
• Short written assessments develop your written communication skills; group activities and discussions develop your capacity for attentive exchange, informed argument and reasoning.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Professor M Pinard

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

In this course students develop an understanding of the diverse and complex relationships Western societies hold with their environment. The first three weeks of teaching concerns unfolding topics succinctly covered by the textbook Environment and Society (Robbins, Hintz and Moore, third edition 2022), thereby furthering their understanding and critical thinking around the key 'political ecology' dimension Population and Scarcity, Markets and Commodities, Institutions, Environmental Ethics, Risks and Hazards, Political Economy and Social Construction of Nature. During the last two weeks of teaching concerns lectures created and presented by students themselves on chosen 'Objects of Concern'. Nine of those are covered by the textbook so that all students will be able to familiarise themselves with each of them, and those students that selected a Concern working this up to provide the deeper and richer levels of understanding and generating debate around those.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Critical texts

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 60
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Two best of three short critical texts with one final critical text which is the letter to the author; each carries 20%

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Preparation and delivery of one teaching session

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 25
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Each student will receive individual feedback.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Tutorial/Seminar Participation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 15
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

During presentations and discussions students will receive informal, verbal feedback.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualCreateTo construct and deliver a lesson on an environmental problem, demonstrating understanding of its complexity and wider environmental thinking.
ConceptualEvaluateTo critically appraise complex, contemporary environmental problems.

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