| Unit name | Ideas and Society: Rethinking Nature |
|---|---|
| Unit code | AFAC20009 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Malay |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Arts Faculty Office |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Our interdisciplinary Ideas and Society units are designed to be broad enough to encourage students to bring into the classroom ideas, methods, and sources from the diverse units they take across their programme, while also providing a thematic focus (such as gender and sexuality, or nature and the environment) through which staff can teach according to their expertise.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Year One core interdisciplinary units introduce foundational skills in scholarly practice and source analysis, which will be further consolidated in Ideas and Society through the drafting and completion of an extended piece of critical writing. ‘Rethinking Nature’ will establish an ideal foundation for students wishing to further explore environmental themes in their dissertation or final year of study.
An overview of content
This unit takes ideas that have been influential in the history of human society (in this case, concepts relating to nature), and considers their philosophical basis, historical importance, and the ways in which these concepts have changed, spread, and been suppressed over the course of history. The unit explores the arguments that have supported, clarified, or amended these ideas. It investigates, through case studies, some of the effects that these ideas have had on society at various points in history. Weekly lectures explore the history and conceptual foundation of the ideas in question, while seminars ensure that concepts are understood while exploring a selection of case studies.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The unit aims:
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities, including lectures, group discussion, writing exercises, and reflective activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. There will be opportunities for tutor and peer feedback.
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for credit (zero-weighted):
As part of this unit, students can submit a 1,500-word formative essay on a topic related to the course. This may be a draft or outline of the final, summative essay, giving students the opportunity to receive feedback ahead of their summative essay deadline.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3,000 word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-4].
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
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. AFAC20009).
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.
