Module DXX-3615:
Environmental Policy
Module Facts
Run by School of Natural Sciences
10.000 Credits or 5.000 ECTS Credits
Semester 1
Organiser: Dr Neal Hockley
Overall aims and purpose
- To help students gain an appreciation of the importance and limitations of policy in determining the way in which the environment is managed.
- To give students an understanding of the policy-making process in the UK and internationally, the influences upon it, and its impacts.
- To equip students with the concepts and skills with which to understand, critically analyse and contribute to the policy-making process, including theoretical and empirical insights into this process from economics, political economy and political science.
- To provide opportunities for students to critically analyse environmental issues, in essays and seminars, on the basis of efficacy, efficiency and equity.
Course content
Policy and the environment. Reasons for and against government intervention. Basic concepts of government, sovereignty, politics, democracy. General features of political systems and governments in the UK and internationally. The role of diverse actors in the policy process: including politicians and parliaments, governments, bureaucracies and agencies, NGOs, media, interest groups and supranational bodies. Theories of politics and policy-making, including international relations. Efficacy, efficiency and equity of environmental policy.
Assessment Criteria
excellent
Grade A- to A** Examination answers Clearly summarise information given during the module (including directed reading), and acquired through wider study, and present it in a way that directly answers the question displaying very high critical and synthetic ability. Assessment Provide an exceptionally clear synthesis of (and cite sources for) a wide range of information relevant to the chosen policy area. Present it in a way that directly answers the question displaying very high critical and synthetic ability.
threshold
Grade D- to D+ Examination answers Clearly summarise information given during the module (including directed reading) and apply it in a way that is relevant to the question. Display a basic understanding of the issues involved. Assessment Clearly summarise (and cite sources for) information relevant to the chosen policy area and apply it in a way that is relevant to the question. Display a basic understanding of the issues involved.
good
Grade C- to B+ Examination answers Clearly summarise information given during the module (including directed reading) and apply it in a way that directly answers the question with coherent argument and critical synthesis of the issues involved. Assessment Provide a clear synthesis of (and cite sources for) information relevant to the chosen policy area. and apply it in a way that directly answers the question with coherent argument and critical synthesis of the issues involved.
Learning outcomes
-
Describe and critically evaluate major features of the policy-making process in the UK and internationally; the influences upon that process and its impacts.
-
Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts important for analysing environmental policy.
-
Be able to use these key concepts to analyse real-life environmental policy case studies.
-
Summarise and communicate policy-relevant information in a professional, logical and coherent manner, including arguing for or against a particular policy.
-
Understand the reasons for or against government intervention in environmental issues.
Assessment Methods
Type | Name | Description | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Policy Analysis Report 2 | 75.00 | ||
Policy Analysis Report 1 | 25.00 |
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Hours | ||
---|---|---|
Individual Project | Develop individual coursework essay, provide and receive peer feedback on partner's essay. |
20 |
Private study | Private study (or in groups). |
50 |
Seminar | 5x2hr seminars (students are expected to attend at least 3 of the 5 seminars). |
10 |
Lecture | Lectures, including significant component of group exercises to apply and illustrate the principles learned. |
10 |
Study group | Reading and discussion groups. Students are encouraged to work in groups to prepare for the seminars |
10 |
Transferable skills
- Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
- Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
- Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
- Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
- Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sentistevely with others
- Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
- Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
- Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
- Mentoring - Able to support, help, guide, inspire and/or coach others
- Management - Able to utilise, coordinate and control resources (human, physical and/or financial)
- Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
- Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others
Subject specific skills
- Recognize and apply appropriate theories and concepts from a range of disciplines.
- Consider issues from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives.
- Apply subject knowledge to the understanding and addressing of problems.
- Appreciation of the reciprocal nature of human-environmental relationships.
- Engage in debate and/or discussion with specialists and non-specialists using appropriate language.
- Understand the provisional nature of information and appreciate competing and alternative explanations.
- Recognize the moral, ethical and social issues relating to the subject.
Resources
Resource implications for students
None
Talis Reading list
http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/dxx-3615.htmlCourses including this module
Optional in courses:
- L700: BA Geography year 3 (BA/GEOG)
- L702: BA Geography (4 yr with placement) year 4 (BA/GEOG4)
- L701: BA Geography (with International Experience) year 4 (BA/GEOGIE)
- C183: BSC Appl.Terrestrial & Marine Ec 4 year 4 (BSC/APTME)
- C185: BSc Applied Terrestrial & Marine Ecology with Intl Exp (5yr) year 4 (BSC/APTMIE)
- C180: BSc Appl. Terrestrial &Marine Ec year 3 (BSC/ATME)
- C184: BSc App Terrestrial & Marine Ecology with Intl Experience year 4 (BSC/ATMEIE)
- C13P: BSc Applied Terrestrial and Marine Ecology with Placement Yr year 4 (BSC/ATMEP)
- DDK5: BSC Conservation & Forest Ecosys. year 3 (BSC/CFE)
- DDL5: BSC Conservation and Forest Ecosys year 4 (BSC/CFE4)
- D503: BSc Conservation with Forestry with International Experience year 4 (BSC/CFIE)
- 5DKD: BSc Conservation with Forestry year 3 (BSC/CWF)
- 5DLD: BSc Conservation with Forestry (four year) year 4 (BSC/CWF4)
- D447: BSC Environmental Conservation year 3 (BSC/ECON)
- D448: BSC Environmental Conservation year 4 (BSC/ECON4)
- D451: BSc Environmental Conservation (International Experience) year 4 (BSC/ENIE)
- F900: BSC Environmental Science year 3 (BSC/ES)
- F901: BSc Environmental Science (4 yr with placement) year 4 (BSC/ES4)
- F90F: BSc Environmental Science year 3 (BSC/ESF)
- 8U71: BSc Environmental Science (with International Experience) year 4 (BSC/ESIE)
- D502: BSc Forestry with International Experience year 4 (BSC/FIE)
- D500: BSC Forestry year 3 (BSC/FOR)
- D50P: BSc Forestry with Placement Year year 4 (BSC/FP)
- F803: BSc Geography with Environmental Forestry year 3 (BSC/GEF)
- F804: BSc Geography with Environmental Forestry year 4 (BSC/GEF4)
- F807: BSc Geography with Environmental Forestry with Intl Exp year 4 (BSC/GEFIE)
- F800: BSC Geography year 3 (BSC/GEOG)
- F806: BSc Geography (4 yr with placement) year 4 (BSC/GEOG4)
- F802: BSc Geography (with International Experience) year 4 (BSC/GEOGIE)
- F710: BSC Marine Environmental Studies year 3 (BSC/MES)
- F713: BSc Marine Environmental Stud with International Experience year 4 (BSC/MESIE)
- F79P: BSc Marine Environmental Studies year 4 (BSC/MESP)
- F850: Master of Environmental Science year 3 (M/ENVSCI)
- F851: MEnvSci Environmental Science with International Experience year 4 (MENVSC/ESIE)
- D512: MFor Forestry year 4 (MFOR/FOR)
- D514: MFor Forestry with International Experience year 5 (MFOR/FORIE)
- D513: MFor Forestry (with placement year) year 5 (MFOR/FORP)
- F801: MGeog Geography year 3 (MGEOG/G)
- F805: MGeog Geography with International Experience year 4 (MGEOG/GIE)