GV591-7-SP-CO:
International Environmental Politics
2021/22
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 17 January 2022
Friday 25 March 2022
15
12 May 2021
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
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.
Objectives: By the end of the module the students should have achieved the following:
1. Gained knowledge of the basic issues related to the domestic politics of the environment
2. Gained knowledge of the major political theories regarding the management of environmental resources
3. Understand how many actors are involved in addressing and solving environmental issues and which incentives/strategies they may have to operate as they do.
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.
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.
Key Skills: The course will strengthen the students' analytical and writing skills. It is expected that students are capable of processing top political science literature and critically assess secondary research. Students are also expected to understand the principles of research design and how to write academic papers.
2 hour lecture. Each session – except for the first one – will start with students` class presentations followed by discussions that deal with material from the required readings.
Attendance is compulsory. It is expected that students have read the required readings for a specific week and are prepared to discuss them. In the classes, the most important points raised in the lecture will be discussed in more detail, and we will extend the perspective by looking at broader issues.
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 |
Research Design Paper |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Final Research Paper |
|
70% |
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.
Module Supervisor Dr Federica Genovese fgenov@essex.ac.uk or Module Administrator, Jamie Seakens (govpgquery@essex.ac.uk)
No
Yes
No
Dr Patrick Bayer
University of Glasgow
Lecturer in International Relations
Available via Moodle
Of 635 hours, 10 (1.6%) hours available to students:
625 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Government
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.