EDS102 Introduction to Environment and Development Studies

The course comprises three blocks:

1. Introduction to key social science concepts used in development. These include: institutions, structure and agency, power, the market, culture and ethnicity, and the state.

2. Introduction to theories of development. We explore the history of development before examining modernisation, dependency, Marxism, neoliberalism, human rights, poverty and inequality.

3. Concepts of environment and development. We explore the history of the concept of sustainable development, the green economy, linkages between environment and development, gender and the environment, ecosystems services, market environmentalism and the zero growth economy.

Knowledge:

The student is able to describe/explain

• basic social science concepts used in Environment and Development Studies
• central theories of development in Development Studies
• the roots and history of Environment and Development Studies
• general concepts of environment in Environment and Development Studies

Skills:

The student is able to

• engage in thinking about current and historical perspectives of environment and development
• apply theory to analyse real-world problems
• engage in academic discussion around environmental and social issues and the interconnections between the two.
• write academic texts

General competence:

The student has a general overview and understanding of environment and development, basic social science concepts, development theory and the history of development, the roots and theory of sustainable development and environment-development relations.