GV591-6-FY-CO:
Environmental Politics
2021/22
Government
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 07 October 2021
Friday 01 July 2022
30
12 May 2021
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
This module offers a comprehensive introduction to the understanding of the domestic politics of environmental problems in a comparative (cross-national as well as sub-national) perspective.
The module begins by examining domestic views on the state of the environment and possible paths along which these views might change. We then move on to consider environmental politics at various different levels of political behaviour and organisation, starting with individual-level values, before moving up the organized politics of the environmental movement, interest groups, political parties, governmental institutions and courts. At each level we consider what drives approaches to the environment and what the consequences of those approaches are for political organisation and action.
How can the international community effectively address global environmental problems, e.g., the depletion of the ozone layer and climate change? This module offers a comprehensive examination of global environmental politics and facilitates an understanding of how international problem-solving efforts emerge among what kinds of actors, what kind of impact such instruments have, and why state efforts to regulate global environmental issues might fail.
The world community's response to transnational environmental issues has been to build a complex structure of environmental regimes and multilateral agreements. We will examine the underlying theoretical approaches comprehensively, paying particular attention to the design of international environmental regimes, the determinants of states participating in these institutions, and their effectiveness.
An additional drawback with regime governance is that it can lead to piece-meal responses and overlapping institutions with little impact on the overall problems posed to the global system. Building on this general overview, we will contrast the cases of the depletion of the ozone layer and climate change, before concentrating on the consequences of climate change for interstate and intrastate conflict.
We then study the nexus of trade and the environment at a global level in trying to answer whether globalization facilitates or worsens the international community's response to global environmental problems. Finally, we explore the possibilities for enhanced environmental governance and the future of international environmental politics.
1. To provide students with the necessary analytical foundations to conduct theoretical and empirical comparative research on the environment.
2. To engage with a wide range of applied material relating to comparative environmental politics.
3. To generate ideas and design a study that engages with contemporary environmental issues in a theoretically sound and empirically aware perspective.
Students will learn how political scientists tackle questions such as: `when do businesses and social movements support environmental policy?` and `why are some government more `green` than others?`. They will also learn how to use empirical evidence to test major political theories of environmental politics.
No additional information available.
2 hour lecture. Lectures are used to introduce ideas and topics. These will be followed by class discussion. Some topics will be covered using class presentations by students. At other times we will initiate round-table discussions based on members of the class all reading and thinking about a particular topic. We will often distribute lecture notes. These are intended to introduce significant concepts and arguments but are not a substitute for you doing the set reading.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Design Paper (Autumn) |
|
15% |
| Coursework |
Research Paper (Autumn) |
|
35% |
| Coursework |
Design Paper (Spring) |
|
15% |
| Coursework |
Research Paper (Spring) |
|
35% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Federica Genovese, email: fgenov@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Federica Genovese
No
Yes
No
Dr Edward Morgan-Jones
University of Kent
Reader in Comparative Politics
Available via Moodle
Of 20 hours, 20 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Government
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