Skip to Main Content

Content

Course Tabs

Overview

Course Prescription

A critical exploration of the interconnectedness of environment and society. The course highlights the importance of understanding how different views and attitudes influence people's interactions with the environment. Key themes include governance, management and development, which are addressed through issues such as conservation, climate change adaptation, disasters and resource use. Classes draw on a variety of case studies from New Zealand and overseas.

Course Overview

In this course students will have gained an understanding of the interconnections between environment and society. Case studies from around the world highlight the ways in which people's knowledge, attitudes, social norms, and worldview influence how the perceive and interact with the environment, which includes how they respond to environmental issues (including pollution, biodiversity loss, climate change, and water scarcity) and how they engage with animals. Through lectures that cover everything from different understandings of nature, the management of freshwater and fisheries, food production and environmental justice, and responses to climate change, the lectures highlight how different forms of knowledge (scientific, local, Indigenous) mediate individuals, communities and institutions interactions with the environment and the management of resources.
The course will be interesting to anyone interested in understanding the drivers and responses to the environmental problems confronting humanity, including climate change, water pollution, global fisheries crises, soil contamination, and loss of biodiversity. It also of interest to anyone interested in sustainability, sustainable development, and Indigenous knowledge and environmental management policies and practices. The course is designed for human geography students, but is also suitable for any student who is interested in the social dimensions of environmental issues and is designed as an introductory course into environmental geography. No past study experience in either human geography or social science is necessary in order to enrol in this course. The course could lead onto third year human geography courses, most notably GEOG 352, GEOG 320, and GEOG 324.
 The course adopts an innovative mixed delivery method, with a mixture of online and face-to-face deliveries methods adopted. Each week lectures will be delivered online, with tutorials delivered face-to-face (online tutorial sessions can be made available). The tutorials are designed as interactive activities to give students practical exercises that allow them to translate abstract concepts and theories discussed in the lectures into real-world applications. In addition, specific tutorials are designed to help students prepare for their assessment.

Workload Expectations

This course is designed with a budget of 150 hours of a student's time. This conforms with the University's and Ministry of Education's guidelines for a 15 pt course.

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures, a 2 hour tutorial per week, and 1 key reading per lecture. This leaves the remainder to complete the coursework and study for your exam.

Please note that these are reasonable estimates but your actual time commitment will depend upon many factors.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled tutorials to complete components of the course and to receive all required information for the course. The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

There is no provision for online delivery of this course. Lectures are recorded only for revision purposes. Attendance in class is expected. This class involves considerable interactive content. 

This course is not available online to students resident offshore. The assessment and learning delivery mechanisms may differ from that presented in this Digital Course Outline. Please contact the Course Coordinator for further details.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

There is no prescribed textbook for this course.
- Recommended key readings will complement what is presented in lectures.  There is an expectation that students read one essential reading (typically an academic journal article) per lecture. Other readings may be suggested to guide students interested in exploring particular topics in more depth.• Course readings will be listed in Talis, accessible through Canvas. You are expected to use the University Library to access these readings, as well as other relevant references.
• Most readings will be available through the University Library as PDFs or ebooks. Some may only be available as hard copies through Short Loan in the Kate Edger Information Commons.
• It is vital to go beyond recommended readings for your assignments.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Additional Information on Academic integrity

Coursework will be submitted to Canvas via Turnitin, a plagiarism-prevention service which compares your assignment with existing literature and previously submitted assignments.
• Assignments must be submitted to Turnitin before the due time and date.
• Turnitin will place your work in a database to ensure that others do not copy your work in the future.  
• Make sure that you leave enough time to submit your essay to Turnitin, allowing for any problems that may arise.
 
If you have any queries about avoiding plagiarism, or if you are uncertain about what constitutes academic dishonesty, please contact the course coordinator for guidance.
The University of Auckland has comprehensive policies on academic honesty, cheating and plagiarism.
If you have any queries about avoiding plagiarism, or if you are uncertain about what constitutes academic dishonesty, please contact the course coordinator for guidance.
• It is the student's responsibility to read and adhere to the University's policies.
• Staff encourage students to work together but do not share electronic copies of your coursework. Enabling another to cheat is also a form of academic misconduct.
• Referen©ite – this web resource provides guidance on correctly acknowledging sources of information: http://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/

Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Special Requirements

To pass this course there is a requirement to achieve 50% or more.
Attendance to tutorials is expected and highly encouraged to enhance your learning and preparation for the assessment.

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

This course will now include a summative assessment to secure student's commitment throughout the semester. All marks for this course will still be derived 100% from coursework.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Additional Information on Tuākana

Details on the Tuākana programme for the School of Environment are available from the course Canvas page. Support is also available from the Faculty of Science programme: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-and-pacific-at-the-faculty/tuakana-programme.html 

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.