Environment and Society

to think critically and rigorously about the relationship between social and natural worlds. Its primary purpose is to question the idea that the environment exists outside of, and independent from, the realms of science, culture, politics and economy. Students will be introduced to 1) different conceptual frameworks for understanding the environment as a social entity, especially the interdisciplinary field of political ecology, 2) the processes by which capitalism and science structures social and environmental relations, and 3) alternative modes of living in, and thinking about, the environment. These broad themes will be addressed through engaging examples from Australia, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Particular attention will be given to the concept of 'wilderness', the Anthropocene, climate change, environmental justice, intersectional inequalities, and environmental movements.

• 1Compare a range of concepts and theories about how society and nature relate
• 2Summarise, explain, and illustrate different ways 'nature' is understood and mobilised in environmental debates
• 3Apply knowledge to analyse field observations and develop an argument about society-nature relations in a case study
• 4Demonstrate the ability to construct critical and coherent verbal and written arguments