58328 The New Economy of Post-Nature
8cpRequisite(s): 58228 Culture, Science and Nature
There are also course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Western knowledge is organised around a fundamental distinction between nature and society, with nature defined as that which is independent of humanity. With an eye on the futures arising from contemporary events, this subject introduces students to key fields of study in environmental sociology and political ecology. Engaging with globalisation from the perspective of 'environmental justice', North-South relations are examined in ecological terms. Students evaluate the oft-cited claim of an evolutionary shift from a modernity based upon fossil-fuelled industrial machinery to one defined by the 'post-industrial' production and exchange of 'information' or 'knowledge'. Students analyse the role of energy in industrial development and the contemporary political geography of fossil fuel consumption and extraction as well as climate change and the assumptions embedded in carbon trading and the notion of 'sustainable development'. They consider the emerging 'bioeconomy' and claims regarding the role of agricultural and industrial biotechnology as agents of sustainable development.
Detailed subject description.
Access conditions
Note: The requisite information presented in this subject description covers only academic requisites. Full details of all enforced rules, covering both academic and admission requisites, are available at Access conditions and My Student Admin.