The University of Sheffield
Geography Undergraduate Student Handbook

GEO217 Environment, Society and Policy

Level 2
Credits 10
Availability Approved for BA Geography; BSc Geography; Geography & Planning
Semester Spring
Prequisite GEO103 or GEO112
Description Environmental issues are a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed in three inter-related sections covering energy, waste and food. Students are expected to develop and present their own ideas in group-based activities and workshops.
Aims
  1. To familiarise students with some of the main theories and concepts for understanding society-environment relations including notions of risk, practice and sustainability
  2. To illustrate how these theories and concepts can be applied to understand current issues in three key sectors (energy, waste and food)
  3. To examine the process of environmental policy formation in these three sectors and the relationship between environmental regulation and everyday life
Learning Outcomes By the end of the module, a student will be able to demonstrate:
  1. An understanding of some key theoretical and conceptual approaches to society and environment relations
  2. A knowledge of how these approaches can be applied to contemporary environmental issues in relation to themes of energy, waste and food
  3. An appreciation of the challenges posed for environmental policy-making in these key sectors.
Outline Contents
  1. Introduction and key concepts
  2. Energy (two sessions)
  3. Waste (two sessions)
  4. Food (two sessions)
  5. Student-led group workshops (two sessions)
  6. Review and revision workshop
Delivery Methods 10 x 2-hour sessions (lectures and workshops) hours of lectures
Student Contact Hours 20
Supporting Texts No single supporting text
Assessment Methods 1.5-hour examination (80%) and group presentation (20%)
Staffing
(convenor underlined)

Professor Peter Jackson, Dr Matt Watson plus other staffing to be confirmed
 

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