This course will critically investigate ideas and theories of environmental politics, their applications and implications for society and the environment. It will scrutinise how environmental politics operates in orthodox or conventional ways such as gaining and maintaining control of the executive and legislature to enact environmental policies. It will also examine and assesses novel or alternative forms of environmental politics such as direct action, green consumerism and enlightened business behaviours. The course, therefore, will provide a practical guide to the mechanics of policy formation and implementation and a deeper understanding of how environmental politics, society and the environment are linked.

3 direct contact hours per week (30 in total) consisting of an interactive lecture and seminar period.

Readings will be provided in advance for discussion in the seminar sessions.

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Assessment

Short answer/multiple choice class test/short moodle tasks: 20%

Essay plan: 10%

Essay: 60%

Feedback viva: 10%

The aims of this course are to:

1. Enhance the knowledge of participants regarding the ideas and theories of environmental politics, their applications and implications for society and the environment;

2. Provide participants with the confidence, skills, theoretical techniques and conceptual tools to identify, analyse and evaluate different forms (conventional and unconventional) of environmental politics;

3. Offer participants a fresh and stimulating approach to the dynamics and processes which are shaping contemporary environmental politics around the world.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast different ideas and theories of environmental politics, including how they intersect and conflict, and their implications for society and the environment;

2. Identify different types of democratic state structure and be able to explain how alterations in these might impact on formal and conventional environmental politics;

3. Identify and assess a range of novel or alternative forms of environmental politics such as direct action, green consumerism and enlightened business behaviours.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.

No additional requirements