| Unit name | Climate Change and International Security |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM0004 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Ashley Dodsworth |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This module will explore the implications of climate change for international security, assessing how the destructive transformation of the earth’s resources and environment will impact the current world order. The course will cover the key areas of economic security, energy security and territorial security, as well as the role of climate change in driving conflict and global migration. Students will also explore the international efforts to limit the effects of and adapt to climate change, from international summits and negotiations to specific policies such as emission trading, and assess whether these measures will be enough to secure human life.
The aims of the unit are:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
Ten two-hour seminars
Formative- essay plan of maximum 1000 words
Students will develop maximum 1000 word plan and outline of their approach to their chosen essay question. All essay questions will be designed to allow evaluation of student performance in relation to Intended Learning Outcomes 1-4 as detailed below. Essay questions will go through a process of internal review and external examiner review prior to their release to students. Assessment of the two page essay plan as formative assessment will allow, in advance of the submission of the summative essay, for developmental feedback to be provided to students on key aspects such as: approach to the question; degree of relevant content; range of reading; integration of evidence and argument. More generally, the formative assessment will allow for provision of indicative feedback from the unit owner on the extent to which the essay plan indicates that the aims and intended learning outcomes are likely to be met in the essay, and suggestions for improvement on all of the above. Written feedback will be provided, with the option of further follow-up discussions with the Unit Owner during office hours or by appointment.
Summative - 4000 word essay (100% of the mark)
The summative essay will allow for assessment of students’ ability to meet the Intended Learning Outcomes 1-4, detailed below, by requiring them to develop an in-depth essay argument over a length of 4000 words that draws upon relevant readings, materials and debates covered in the unit. The essay questions will be designed so as to require: demonstration of a thorough knowledge of the threat of global climate change and its causes; critical assessment of the extent to which climate change may create and drive conflict; explanation, by reference to an integration of relevant evidence and case studies, how climate change may impact economic, territorial and energy security as well as driving climate migration; evaluation of international measures taken to limit and adapt to climate change as a substantive component of the essay argument.
