EV1004 - Understanding Environmental Issues

Credit points:	03
Year:	2007
Student Contribution Band:	Band 2
Administered by:	Discipline of Environmental Sciences

This subject will provide an introduction to the variety of intellectual foundations of modern environmental studies which especially draw form the arts, humanities, geography and social sciences areas. The subject will provide an inter and multi-disciplinary framework for examining the natural environment from many different perspectives; environmentalism and its many different facets from classical history to deep ecology and ecofeminism (philosophy, womens studies, history, geography); cultural assumptions, meanings and values with respect to the environment and human/natural environment interconnections (psychology, sociology, anthropology and cultural studies); the role of cultural assumptions and environmental values in decision making (politics, history, planning); an introduction to the natural history foundations of environmental studies (geography, philosophy, biology) and an introduction to the roles of science and the media in environmental issues.

Learning Outcomes

• to link Australian perspectives on the environment to a diverse range of cultural traditions and roots;
• to provide a balanced and comprehensive introduction to the intellectual foundations of environmental studies from within the disciplines of arts, social science and science;
• to provide an opportunity for students to gain appreciation of the many arts disciplines with a tradition and interest in environmental studies;
• to provide an opportunity to understand more fully the complexity of environmental issues;
• understand the process of writing at university level.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments;
• The ability to speak and write logically, clearly and creatively;
• The ability to reflect on and evaluate learning processes and products.

Availabilities
Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 30-Mar-2007
Coordinator:	Dr Alison Cottrell
Lecturers:	Dr Doug Goudie, Dr Alison Cottrell, Ms Christina Doxford, Dr Sue Bandaranaike.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 26 hours tutorials
Assessment:	end of semester exam (40%); other exams (10%); essays (30%); portfolio (20%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.