Module Directory

This module is an opportunity for students to explore, develop, and apply an interdisciplinary set of theories useful for understanding and acting within the professional and academic field of community, regional and global development. 

Acknowledging that there is a natural desire to have a positive impact on our community, the module tasks students with working on a project that can address problems in the local community, while learning about how these challenges affect communities across the globe.  In practice, the module takes students through what the nature of community groups are, the function of non-profits and community organizations; the networks that tie community groups to each other; and how students can work together to make a difference at the local level by engaging with these actors and networks.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide an overview of the contemporary theories of how key topics intersect with poverty, community development, urban and rural ecology, food security, and development economics.


• To enable students to develop the ability to critically assess and discuss a variety of issues in different disciplines.


• To highlight the effect that a variety of institutions and structures have on impacting community development.


• To enable students to adjudicate between competing theories or arguments, giving credit to perspectives other than their own.


• To improve students’ abilities to write objectively and persuasively and general writing skills in a concise fashion.


• To teach students how to gather data and analyse it in a concise fashion.


• To provide students with opportunities to present information orally.


• To enable students to work in large teams.

And

• To engage students in their own employability and development.


• To enable students to develop an understanding of the range of careers and their ability to access and utilize resources effectively.


• To engage students with the purpose of developing employable skills and understanding why these specific skills are essential.


• To develop student’s understanding of the recruitment process and what their ability is to influence this process.


• To develop students’ ability to articulate their personal brand, skills and attributes in a positive, confident and professional manner.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the main theoretical and empirical concepts in development, poverty and community studies


2. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of how social science applies to the local issues facing our community and the main findings of social science


3. Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of developments, issues and debates in poverty, community development and urban and rural ecology and the sources of information for studying development from an inter-disciplinary perspective


4. Apply analysis and research to solve and explore common issues in development


5. Develop skills in teamwork and technical presentations


6. Deliver successful planning and project implementation through strong organisational skills


7. Understand how to undertake independent research, to learn important research techniques, writing and critical thinking.


8. Critically engage with data, and understand how to gather/access sources of data


9. Start to understand one’s skillset better, i.e.. attributes, knowledge, experience, special and transferrable skills

In the lectures, we will look at challenges we face globally and how this may affect us on a local level.  The module will more specifically tackle four streams related to development, including urban poverty, and ecology; rural poverty and sustainable agriculture; food insecurity; and health and poverty.  Students will follow a specific stream that they are interested in and go in-depth into understanding both the theoretical and practical solutions and obstacles to have a positive impact on a community in this area.  The aim of the module is for students understand the theoretical and empirical studies that have addressed key global problems as a foundation to tackle local issues.  The main idea is that global problems may require local solutions.

Syllabus information

• The challenges of sustainable development


• Urban Poverty and Urban Ecology


• Rural Poverty and Sustainable Agriculture


• Food Insecurity


• Health, Disease and Poverty

The teaching is designed to help students gain breadth and more in depth understanding of different challenges that are both global and local.  Students are expected to undertake reading before lecture and be prepared to engage in discussion.

Module delivery:

The module meets 5 times in the AU term, with an hour lecture/seminar, and an hour of voluntary support class.  This is weeks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.  The module then moves to independent study mode, as students work in group projects and have informal supervision with an advisor.  During week 11, workshops will be set up that the students present, which can be organized by timetabling.