Environment and society
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This module starts with investigating how social science perspectives change the way we understand and respond to the major environmental challenges of our time. You&/courses/qualifications/details/dd213/39;ll explore how understanding the environment and society had profound and unequal consequences for people and ecosystems across the planet in the age of the Anthropocene. You&/courses/qualifications/details/dd213/39;ll also explore ways of understanding environmental and societal issues that are entangled in cultural, economic, social, and political terms and look at how these can provide the resources required to value environments differently and to build new models of responsibility required to navigate the Anthropocene.
What you will study
The module will help you understand how social science perspectives can change the way we see and intervene in the major environmental challenges of our time. It provides a ‘tool kit’ of social science themes and concepts, skills and approaches that will help you take the social aspects of environmental issues seriously in future studies and in life more generally. Your studies will explore relationships between the environment and society through the concept of entanglement, which emphasises the inherently interrelated nature of environmental and social issues. Alongside this, you&/courses/qualifications/details/dd213/39;ll learn about the concept of geographical imagination, enabling you to trace, map out, analyse and interpret the environment-society entanglements central to understanding contemporary environmental and social challenges.
The two main concepts of entanglement and geographical imagination are explored through the six blocks. After the introductory block, the cultural, economic, social, and political dimensions of environment-society issues are explored in turn. The module concludes by providing an opportunity to consolidate and review your learning, bringing together themes, concepts and case studies from across the module.
With each block, you&/courses/qualifications/details/dd213/39;ll also develop a key academic skill (description, interpretation, investigation, analysis, evaluation, and consolidation) through the central focus on engaging critically with multiple forms of evidence. A key part is the innovative use of virtual fieldwork activities in every block. Each of these activities focuses on a specific case study related to the themes of the block and the key academic skill for that block. You&/courses/qualifications/details/dd213/39;ll be provided with different types of evidence ranging from maps, newspaper articles and reports to video interviews with experts and people directly affected by the issues explored. This is designed to develop your skills as an independent researcher.
Your skills and knowledge will be developed through five tutor-marked assessments, a revision-oriented interactive computer-marked assessment and an end-of-module assessment. At the end of the module, you&/courses/qualifications/details/dd213/39;ll have a clear understanding of what social science perspectives contribute to understanding and intervening in environment-society issues, as well as a skill set of real value in both academic and vocational contexts.
Entry requirements
Academic writing, searching the internet, reading academic material, making notes, and thinking critically are all important skills developed in this module, and prior experience in these areas would be an advantage.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an .
What's included
This module provides a study guide and two textbooks. You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
- a week-by-week study planner
- module materials
- audio and video content
- assessment guide
- online tutorials and forums.
Computing requirements
- Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they may not be suitable as your primary device.
- Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
- Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
- Operating systems – Windows 10 or 11 or macOS Ventura (or higher).
- Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
- Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.