Rural Environmental Geography
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| GEOG2013 | Geography | 2 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- GEOG2013
- School
- Geography
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module draws on rural geographical approaches to examine a range of environmental issues affecting rural areas of the Global North, based on staff research expertise. It evaluates different types of human-environment relations and claims to rural space, including those related to food, recreation and 'nature', and considers how the impacts of these vary over time and space. Key topics may include the development of rural geography as a sub-discipline; rural socio-economic change, especially related to agriculture; sustainability and rewilding; rural and agricultural governance; and resource conservation and pollution.
Target Students
Available to all Level 2 students.
Classes
Teaching will take place through a mixture of lectures, seminars, other engagement sessions and a field visit.
Assessment
- 60% Coursework: 2,000 words
- 40% Group Project: 2,000 words
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
The main aims of this module are to:Examine environmental issues using rural geographical perspectives.Enhance understanding of key concepts informing human-environment relations in rural areas (including ‘nature’, conservation, productivism, sustainability and rewilding) and variations in their relative importance over time and space.Investigate the nature and impacts of different current and future claims to rural space (including for food production, recreation, and ‘nature’).Investigate the impacts of on-going agricultural modernisation, including agri-environmentalism, on the environment and different socio-economic, policy and landholding groups.Learning Outcomes
a. Knowledge and Understanding. Demonstrate a critical understanding of:
- Rural geographical approaches to the environment.
- Key themes in rural environmental geography, including human-nature relations, differing claims to rural land use, sustainability and rewilding.
- Rural and agricultural changes and their impacts on society and natural environments.
- Certified and uncertified expert-led environmental management systems.
- Rural policies and governance practices, including the development of agri-environmentalism and other forms of rural resource management.
- Future scenarios for rural environmental change and their implications.
b. Intellectual Skills
- Collect and analyse information critically.
- Focus on issues and assess priorities.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the complexity of rural environmental issues.
- Write in an articulate and cogent manner.