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Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Advanced

Former School/College

Former School of Arts and Social Sciences

Unit aim

Aims to introduce students to theories addressing the interactions of nature and culture. Primarily the subject proposes to engage in environmental and ecological issues and discourses from the perspective of cultural studies. Students will explore the relationship between the human and non-human in respect to their socio-cultural and activist implications.

Unit content

LOCATING ECOCULTURAL STUDIES

Cycle 1: Ecocultural theoretical alternatives

  • Environmental ethics and cultural studies
  • The nature of politics/the politics of nature

Cycle 2: Geographies of identity

  • Intersections of identity with approaches to nature
  • What's 'natural'?

WALKING

Cycle 3: Geographies of power and resistance

  • EcoRacism
  • Indigeneity

Cycle 4: Practising theory

  • Sites of contestation
  • Active(ist) bodies

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 demonstrate an understanding of an ecocultural approach to contemporary theory and culture
2 apply ecocultural principles to an analysis of specific cultural texts
3 interrogate approaches to culture in which considerations of nature are absent
4 recognise some of the differences in the relation between nature and culture among different cultural and social groups within Australia
5 critique a range of approaches to 'nature' with relevant theoretical, activist, ethical and practical insights
6 demonstrate a deeper analysis and consideration of localised practices in the context of these insights.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. demonstrate an understanding of an ecocultural approach to contemporary theory and culture
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  2. apply ecocultural principles to an analysis of specific cultural texts
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  3. interrogate approaches to culture in which considerations of nature are absent
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  4. recognise some of the differences in the relation between nature and culture among different cultural and social groups within Australia
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  5. critique a range of approaches to 'nature' with relevant theoretical, activist, ethical and practical insights
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  6. demonstrate a deeper analysis and consideration of localised practices in the context of these insights.
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
    • GA5: