| Unit name | Critical Political Ecologies of Extraction and Conservation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GEOG30029 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Behzadi |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Either GEOG20015 Geographies of Nature and Environment OR GEOG20024 Geographies of Colonialism and Coloniality |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Geographical Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
This unit critically explores the tensions of extractivism, conservation, and the relations between them by drawing on multiple strands of critical political ecology, an interdisciplinary field that explores how social and environmental systems interact. Theoretically, the unit builds on feminist, anti-racist, Indigenous, postcolonial and decolonial political ecologies, allowing students to understand the violent histories and underlying principles behind global and national extractivist and conservationist agendas. Empirically, the unit will explore local, grounded everyday, embodied and differentiated experiences in extractive and conservation zones, drawing on case studies on resource extraction and conservation around the world, including Latin America and Central Asia. This will enable students to develop a multi-scalar perspective on extraction and conservation and understand the historical and contemporary links between resource extraction, conservation, and colonialism. Students will also learn how to apply this knowledge to practical examples through the exploration of case studies.
How does this unit fit into the programme story?
The unit builds critical understanding of political economy and nature and the environment that students will have developed in their year 1 and 2. It does so by taking their theoretical understandings of political ecology one step further by engaging with recent critical strands of political ecology (feminist, decolonial, anti-racist, Indigenous) and applying these understandings to the fields of extraction and conservation. It draws on theoretical and conceptual foundations that are developed in other units: In year 1, 1 introduction to Human Geography, and year 2, Philosophy and Social theory, and State, Economy and Society.
An overview of content
The unit is organised in four sections: a first introductory and conceptual section on the broader field of critical political ecology, a second section on resource extraction, a third section on conservation, and finally a conclusion on ecological futures. The core material is covered in lectures and seminars and further developed via independent reading, essay preparation, and an oral group presentation. Case studies draw on conservation and extraction in the the Global South and North.
How will students be different?
The following transferable skills are developed in this Unit:
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit students should be able to:
The unit will be taught through a blended combination of online and, if possible, in-person teaching, including
Formative
Students prepare a draft of their video-essay (two stage assessment) that is presented during weekly seminars. They get generic oral feedback on these video-essays (from the seminar leader). They also get peer feedback during the seminars, and they have the chance to take this feedback on board for their final submission.
The seminars are also a formative chance to discuss the readings before the essay.
Summative
5 min long video essay (group assessment) (30%)
2500-word essay (70%) Nb. word count excludes references.
When assessment does not go to plan
If students cannot produce the video-essay, they will be asked to do individual 5 min visual presentation.
If they miss the essay, they will have an alternative essay during the summer assessment period.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GEOG30029).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
