121-017 Society and Environments

Note

Availability

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

25 points of first year Sociology or Geography or Environmental Studies or approval of the subject coordinator.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject tackles the broad question of the relationship between society and environments. Students will be introduced to some important conceptual tools for thinking about this relationship. These include the ways in which capitalism structures social/environmental relations; the notion of the social construction of the natural world; the role of the state in environmental management and regulation; and the relationship between certain cultural values and the use and meaning of the environment. Students will address these broader themes through a range of interesting and relevant case material drawn from western and non-western examples as well as from mainstream and alternative spheres of society. This course will ask students to think about some of the following questions: How 'wild' is 'wilderness'? What do zoos tell us about social organisation? How can we conceive of environmental justice? Why is there a renewed interest in traditional ecological knowledges? Has the state a meaningful role in sustainable development? What does it mean to be 'green'? Who owns nature?

Assessment

Written work totalling 2500 words and a 1.5-hour examination.