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Unit information: Geographies of the Anthropocene in 2023/24

Unit name Geographies of the Anthropocene
Unit code GEOG30036
Credit points 20
Level of study H/6
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Dr. Franklin Ginn
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

Students will find completion of GEOG20015 Geographies of Nature and Environment and GEOG25110 Philosophy, Social Theory and Geography useful.

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department School of Geographical Sciences
Faculty Faculty of Science

Unit Information

We live on a planet profoundly altered by human activities. From mass extinction, to the transformation of land for agriculture, to climate change and the extraction of fossil fuels, to rising inequality, the Anthropocene names our current geological epoch – the age of humans. This course will introduce the concept of the Anthropocene, outlining its scientific and cultural origins, and explore current debates over its provenance and implications by examining competing planetary perspectives. These include: the Capitalocene, based in eco-Marxist approaches; and the Chthulucene, based on posthumanism; the Plantationocene, based on decolonial thought. The second part of the course is organised around key problematics of the Anthropocene: viral pandemics; novel forms of conservation; extinction; soil cultures; apocalypse; visions of human life beyond Earth; indigenous conservation. Each session is split between critical conceptual analysis and studies of ethical or political intervention. The course is mainly cultural geography, but all geography students are welcome to take the course. Sessions are split between lectures and more interactive activities.

Unit aims:

  • To enhance critical thinking in addressing grand planetary challenges
  • To explore the culture of the Anthropocene
  • To explore current real-world examples through different theoretical lenses

To enable students to develop their own voice and areas of expertise.

Your learning on this unit

By the end of the unit, students will have:

  1. Critical understanding of the key dimensions of the Anthropocene concept, its emergence and its politics;
  2. Critical understanding of the problems with mainstream environmentalism;
  3. Capacity to synthesise current theoretical debates with real-world examples;
  4. Understanding in-depth of one or more key debates;

Ability to develop their own voice and way of thinking about the politics of the Anthropocene.

How you will learn

The unit will be taught through a combination of:

  • online resources
  • synchronous group workshops, seminars, tutorials and/or office hours
  • asynchronous individual activities and guided reading for students to work through at their own pace

How you will be assessed

Essay (50%)

Unseen examination (50%)

Both assessments assess all the ILOs.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GEOG30036).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

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