Land, Power and Politics: a critical problem-based approach
| Module title | Land, Power and Politics: a critical problem-based approach |
|---|---|
| Module code | POLM093 |
| Academic year | 2022/3 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Nick Kirsop-Taylor (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
Land is power, and the exercise of power is political. In this module you will learn about critical contemporary controversies in the politics of land and power through cases such as land grabbing in sub-Saharan Africa, apportioning indigenous land rights in the Amazon, and the third global extinction event. Initially you will gain an understanding of key theoretical debates and discourse illuminated through historical and international case studies; before moving onto a number of important contemporary critical perspectives from the feminist, post-colonial, political ecological and other critical traditions.
In weekly seminars you will be set the challenge of solving a number of contemporary ‘problems’ in this field; such as ‘designing truth and reconciliation commission in post-colonial states, or ‘Designing “just” small island “loss and damage” climate reparation programmes’. These seminars will be geared towards role-playing the ‘consultancy experience’ to give you important understanding and learning about transferable employment skills and opportunities in postgraduate consultancy roles. These will include important learning about the structure, form, and expectations of problem solving through problem-based learning approaches, whilst also building your skills for addressing critical contemporary ‘problems’ through problem-based learning.
There are no previous requirements for this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module you will cover a number of important areas giving historical and critical context to understandings about the ideas and notions of land, power and politics; rooted in the critical political ecology tradition. These include:
- Understanding why land equates to power, and the exercise of power in politics
- Understanding about the political ecology academic tradition
- Understanding contemporary land settlement, and why and how this should be critiqued
- Understanding emergent global political science discourse about what we use land for
Through a seminar series and assessments specifically designed to role-play the consultancy experience problem-solve critical real world political land-based problems
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate to a high level a comprehensive understanding of the key historical trends and events that have shaped the contemporary normative global land-use and land management order.
- 2. Understand in significant depth the key theory and theoretical debates that underpin the politics of land.
- 3. Demonstrate a strong understanding of how and why the normative consensus of this global land-management order can (and should) be critiqued.
- 4. Demonstrate critical, nuanced, and independent problem-solving skills necessary for addressing urgent contemporary politicised land problems; in styles cognate with the commercial forms and processes expected in consultancy roles.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Locate and demonstrate a very strong understanding of key theory, concepts, and debates in the political science discourse.
- 6. Critically apply theory, knowledge, and research to the problem-solving contemporary real-world challenges
- 7. Demonstrate in-depth understandings of the rationale and barriers to policy and governance problem-solving.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Demonstrate advanced team working skills in formats cognate with commercial/employment settings
- 9. Evidence a comprehensive understanding of the forms and processes that will be expected in professional commercial consultancy-style roles
- 10. Communicate to a high standard in individual and group settings the synthesised solutions to complex problems for different audiences
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- The social root of politics, power and land;
- The polis, latifunda, and the ‘rise and fall’ of civilisations;
- ‘The age of change’: revolution and colonialism;
- From the socialist grand narrative of land-power-politics to the triumph of the liberal settlement;
- Contemporary challenges and opportunities in the politics and policy of land;
- Post-colonialism, feminism, indigenous and sub-altern voices;
- Ecological voices in the Anthropocene and socio-agrarian activism;
- Land and resource conflict;
- ‘The future’ of land, power and politics: climate change, the third industrial revolution, and the green state.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 125 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 11 | Weekly 1-hour lectures over 11 weeks |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 11 | Weekly 1-hour seminars over 11 weeks |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 3 | Week eleven consultancy assessment seminar |
| Guided independent study | 50 | Reading and seminar preparation |
| Guided independent study | 75 | Coursework research, preparation and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formative presentation: consultancy interim-results exercise (week 7) | 10 minutes per group | 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | Oral and written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 65 | 0 | 35 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 35 | 2,750 words | 1, 2, 3, 5 | Written |
| Group consultancy report | 30 | 2,500 words per group member | 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 | Written |
| Group presentation of consultancy report | 35 | 10 minutes per group member | 7, 8, 9, 10 | Written and oral |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,750 words) | 1, 2, 3, 5 | August/September reassessment period |
| Group consultancy report (written) | Written account of individual contribution to summative consultancy report (2,500 words per person) | 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 | August/September reassessment period |
| Group presentation (oral) of consultancy report | one-to-one viva (5 minutes per member) | 7, 8, 9, 10 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
The group presentation cannot be re-assessed in a rigorous format after the group assessed event. Therefore, individuals will be asked to produce a reflective note on their experience of this group problem-solving exercise. This will be a short reflective piece which particularly highlights their contribution to the overall group exercise, and their learnings about group work, the consultancy process, and their approach to solving the problem.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Kirsop-Taylor, N., Appiah, D., Huggett, M. & Steadman, A. (2020). Problem-based learning for teaching and learning political ecology. The Journal of Environmental Education: 52 (1)1-13.
Robbins, P. (2014). ‘Political Ecology: A Critical Introduction’. Wiley. London. Second Ed.
Contextual reading (illustrative):
Agrawal, B. (1994). ‘A field of one’s own: ender and land rights in South Asia’. South Asian Studies 58. Cambridge University Press. New York. First Ed.
Albertus, M. (2015). ‘Autocracy and Redistribution: the politics of land reform’. Cambridge University Press. New York. First Ed.
Das, R. (2016). ‘The Politics of Land, Consent, and Negotiation: Revisiting the Development-Displacement Narratives from Singur in West Bengal’. SAMAJ: 13
Farley, J. Erickson, J. Daly, H. (2005). Ecological economics: A workbook for problem-based learning. Island Press. London. First Ed.
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 06/10/2022 |
| Last revision date | 06/10/2022 |