Energy, Tech & Society (10)

Code

ENGR4011

School

Engineering Research

Level

4

Credits

10

Semesters

Autumn UK, Spring UK

Summary

The module explores the social, ethical, economic and public policy aspects of the development, embedding and transformation of modern energy systems. Students will be introduced to current issues relating to the supply and demand for energy, the technologies involved (e.g., fossil fuels, nuclear, bioenergy, renewables, hydrogen) and how these might be assessed from different disciplinary perspectives (sociology, science and technology studies, economics, development studies, geography, and public policy studies). These will be framed in terms of the overarching concept of ‘energy systems’ and students will be encouraged to make connections between different perspectives. Topics may include: energy security and energy policy at national and global levels; electricity markets; energy and the environment; relationship between fossil fuels, geopolitics and modern lifestyles; energy technologies and risk assessment; public policies around sustainable energy transitions and climate change mitigation; public perceptions of energy technologies; social practices of energy use; and energy access, energy poverty and development.

Target Students

Only available to PGT students. Also available to Erasmus/exchange students.

Classes

• One 7-hour lecture

Further Activity Details: Total teaching/contact time - 21 hours, 1 x block of 7 hours per day for 3 day block teaching. Directed reading: 38 hours Coursework preparation: 41 hours Total: 100 hours

Assessment

• 100% Assignment: 2,000 word essay

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

a) Knowledge and understanding 

• Key themes and debates around the history and critical analysis of contemporary fossil fuel societies.

• Key themes and debates relating to the wider social context of energy technology development and prospects for a sustainable energy transition.

• Reasons why technologies are seen as socially shaped and why they may raise uncertainties, conflict and resistance.

• Emerging expectations of ethical responsibility in scientific and technological research.

b) Intellectual skills

• A critical and reflexive understanding of the wider context of energy technologies and energy use.

• An awareness of the need to consider the significance of underlying assumptions in the framing of scientific and technical claims from multiple sources.

• The ability to develop coherent arguments that engage with the relevant literature in order to understand the social, institutional, cultural and political significance of energy technologies.

c) Professional practical skills

• Learn to engage with diverse and complex materials, and critically assess knowledge claims and judgments.

• Manage personal development of bibliographic skills including the ability to identify key resources (eg. Use of library, internet).

d) Transferable (key) skills

• Manage large and disparate sources of information.

• Write coherently and develop sustained argument with supporting evidence.

• Formal and informal communication skills in writing and discussion.

Conveners

• Professor Robin Irons