| CODE | EMP1019 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Human-nature Systems | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit introduces students to the complex relationship between human beings and the natural world. The unit will first introduce students to the history of the relationship between man and the natural world, spanning the pre-industrial world, the transition to modernity and the modern era. This changing relationship will be discussed with reference to different sub-systems of the Earth. The unit will then take a closer look at the concept of systems and related systems terminology, and through examples, will look at simple ways in which systems can be modelled. In the final part of the unit, the man-environment relationship will be examined from different perspectives, including environmental psychology, environmental anthropology, environmental economics and environmental sociology. Study-unit Aims: This study unit aims to: - foster in students a fundamental appreciation of the complexity of relationships between people and Earth systems; - help students understand (i) the ways in which the history of mankind has been inextricably tied to the natural world, (ii) the role that behavioural and cultural parameters play in relation to environmental problems, (iii) the importance of cultural sensitivity in tackling environmental problems, (iv) the centrality of the environment to the world economy, and (v) the various ways in which the identity of people is tied to the natural world; - help students understand and be conversant in the language of systems. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. Identify the key characteristics of systems; b. Describe, with reference to examples, how the success (or vice versa) of human civilization is tied to a healthy natural support system; c. Define and gives examples of environmental externalities; d. Explain and illustrate the concept of a social-ecological system. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. Recognize the complexity of the human-nature interface; b. Appreciate the important role that an understanding of perception and culture plays in managing Earth systems; c. Construct simple systems diagrams. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Meadows, D. (2008). Thinking in Systems. Chelsea Green Publishing. ISBN: 9781603580557. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Online Learning and Seminar | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Elisabeth Conrad |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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