Accessibility statement

Equitable & Sustainable Futures 2: Power & Place in the Global South - ENV00040I

« Back to module search

  • Department: Environment and Geography
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Sally Beckenham
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

The module critically explores global development policy and practice, with particular focus on the Global South. Grounded in an understanding of the relationship between development and power, it provides an opportunity for students to creatively conceptualise and express contemporary development issues, debates and solutions, including on poverty, sustainability, inequality and injustice. In doing so it builds on the Year 1 Equitable & Sustainable Futures I and Environment, Development and Society modules

Related modules

 "Equitable & Sustainable Futures 1: Sites of Global Change" is a prerequisite for this module

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

The purpose of this module is firstly to help students to think critically and holistically about development and its role in addressing major global challenges. Secondly, it is to foster students’ skills in researching, writing and communicating development problems and solutions clearly and creatively for non-academic audiences. It introduces the diverse theories, concepts and critiques of global development alongside interconnected issues such as sustainable development, indigenous knowledge practices, and environmental and social justice frameworks. It empowers students to apply these issues to particular case studies in the global South context, in a way that enhances their media literacy, technical and storytelling skills. Students will leave with a deeper sense of the contested nature of development and their role in it, and with the experience of helping to engage people in these urgent conversations beyond the academic setting.

Module learning outcomes

Successful students will:

  • Have a strong critical grasp of key theories and concepts, how they have emerged and why they are important

  • Be able to assess the relationship between development and power, and its implications for social, political, economic and environmental change

  • Have the ability to develop an argument supported by evidence, and relate the argument to key debates in the academic literature

  • Possess research, technical, and communication skills that will serve you in university, work, and life

  • Be public knowledge producers who can clearly interpret, synthesize and communicate key information

  • Be effective at working individually and as part of a team to complete tasks

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Podcast and accompanying script		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Oral presentation/seminar/exam
Podcast script		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Seminars will provide the opportunity for continuous feedback

Group feedback on script production will be given during the designated 1 hour practical

Individual feedback on podcast and script will be delivered in written form to each student using a DEG feedback form and according to the specific assessment criteria given prior to the assessment

General feedback on the podcasts and scripts will be delivered orally to the whole group via a one hour feedback/reflection lecture

Indicative reading

Robert B. Potter (2017) Geographies of Development : An introduction to Development Studies, 4th ed. London: Routledge

Vandana Desai; Potter, Rob, eds. (2014) The Companion to Development Studies, 3rd ed. London: Routledge

Marcus Power (2003) Rethinking Development Geographies. London: Routledge

United Nations Development Programme (2020) Human Development Report 2020: The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene. New York.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.