Introduction to Environment and Society
Overview
The course offers an opportunity for students to explore the aspects of societies that have had an adverse impact on the environment and climate, which in turn can adversely and unfairly impact particular groups. Simultaneously this course offers an opportunity for students to appreciate the capacity of societal regeneration to address environmental issues including climate change, and in turn to contribute to climate justice. The aim of the course is to develop students' ability to apply critical and innovative thinking to the relationship between society and environment, and to equip them with a basis in research, analysis, problem solving, and communication skills so that they may contribute to solutions in this area.
Requisites
30-January-2026
29-May-2026
25-September-2026
29-January-2027
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply relevant theories, concepts, research methodology, and evidence to debates about the environment.
- Critically review, analyse, and summarise scholarship on the social aspects of environmental problems and solutions including research using quantitative and qualitative data.
- Develop informed arguments about the relationship between the society that we live in and the environment we experience by using evidence, evaluating competing explanations, and drawing conclusions.
- Communicate ideas, principles, and knowledge informed by academic literature regarding the relationship between society and the environment.
- Develop innovative ideas that are solutions focused for addressing environmental problems.
- Reflect on the environmental implications of their own way of life.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online (Lecture) |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| On-campus (Tutorial 1) |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| On-campus (Tutorial 2) |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Activities (Independent Learning) |
6.50 | 12 weeks | 78 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Essay | Individual | 48% | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
| Reflective Essay | Individual | 16% | 4,5,6 |
| Research Report | Individual | 36% | 2,3,4 |
Content
- Introduction
- Nature and society
- How we know about environmental problems
- Globalisation
- How we organise our economy
- Population dynamics
- How we have transformed our environment: Industrialisation and urbanisation
- How we live: consumption and waste
- Environmental justice and environmental inequality
- The Environmental movement
- Ecological citizenship
- Nature Based Solutions
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.