The Politics of Nature: Sustaining the British Environment 1600 to the Present

Module title	The Politics of Nature: Sustaining the British Environment 1600 to the Present
Module code	HIC3307
Academic year	2022/3
Credits	30
Module staff	Dr Timothy Cooper (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	30

Module description

In this module you will study the ways in which the idea of nature has been used ideologically to justify environmental transformations since the late eighteenth century to the present day. You will look at the contradictory effects of those transformations in terms of pollution, resource degradation etc. You will critically engage with the emergence of the themes of environment and sustainability, and the ideological implication of such terms. You will investigate the origins of environmentalism and conservation as the consequences of capitalist efforts to manage and produce nature. This module will enable you to demonstrate how useful a critical historical perspective is to understanding and addressing the roots of contemporary environmental issues.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module investigates the history and politics of ideas of ‘nature’ as they have developed in Britain between the late eighteenth-century down to the present day. The module encourages students to engage critically with the emergence of the themes of environment and sustainability, and the ideological implication of such terms in particular. We look at a range of themes, especially the role of ‘nature’ as a concept in political economy; the impact of environmental transformation on urban and global environments; and the emergence of environmental politics from the late-nineteenth century. The aim is to encourage students to develop historical interests in contemporary issues and to prepare to engage in environmental questions as active citizens in a democratic society.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate significant knowledge and critical engagement with a range of historical issues around the themes of environment and sustainability
2. Demonstrate an ability to deploy effectively a range of the tools of ideology critique and discourse analysis in analysis of historical ideas about nature
3. Demonstrate effectively the connections between material environmental transformations and ideologies across a range of themes and contexts

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Deploy effectively the concepts of ideology and discourse analysis in the critical analysis of historical sources
5. Analyse a full range of original sources effectively and assess their utility as historical evidence
6. Develop sustained, independent historical arguments in a variety of forms using appropriate terminology

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Set tasks independently and solve problems, formulating appropriate questions and marshaling relevant evidence to answer them
8. Digest, select and synthesise evidence and arguments to produce, to a deadline, a coherent, critical and cogent argument
9. Be able to articulate the relationship between historical knowledge and contemporary political and social issues related to environmental change
10. Be able to effectively articulate your own critical viewpoints

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following themes:

Ideology
Discourse Analysis
Political Economy and the Idea of Nature
Pollution and Control
Urban Change and The Environment
The Idea of Conservation
Waste
Imperialism and Environmental Transformation
The Origins of Modern Environmentalism

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
33	267	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	11	Classes: You will be expected to read and prepare for these classes which develop the main themes of the module
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	22	Seminars: Student-led seminars which focus on the careful reading of primary source material
Guided independant study	54	Reading for classes. Readings to be provided on ELE
Guided independant study	54	Reading for seminars. Readings to be provided on ELE
Guided independant study	66	Critical source analysis portfolio. You will also be expected to conduct reading from the relevant further readings on ELE and your own independent research
Guided independant study	60	Examination preparation. You will also be expected to conduct reading from the relevant further readings on ELE and your own independent research

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Online draft of source portfolio	1000 words	1-10	Written
Online practice exam answer	1000 words	1-10

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
50	50	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Critical Source Analysis Portfolio	50	3000 words	1-6,8	Written
Open Book Examination	50	24 hours	1-8	Written

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
Critical Source Analysis Portfolio	Critical source analysis Portfolio 3,000 words	1-8	Referral/deferral period
Examination	Essay 3000 words	1-6,8	Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

J. Winter:Ã?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯Secure from Rash AssaultÃ?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯(2002)
H. Ritvo,Ã?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯The Dawn of GreenÃ?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯(2009)
K. Thomas,Ã?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯Man and the Natural WorldÃ?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯(several edns.)
C Glacken, Traces on the Rhodian Shore (1967)
P. Coates, Nature: Western Attitudes since Ancient Times (1998)
B. Clapp, An Environmental History of Britain (1994)
J. Sheail, An Environmental History of Twentieth Century Britain (2002)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Key words search

History, Environment, Nature, Ideology, Sustainability, Politics

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	2010
Last revision date	24/07/2020