King’s College London: Geography Modules Undergraduate Development Studies
Students.
Students on the BA Development Studies, and BA Development Studies and… (joint degree students in
the department), may take the modules listed below as a Development studies option i.e. as part of the
degree structure.
Please contact Lepina Begum at devstudies@soas.ac.uk if you are interested in enrolling on one of these
modules in order to complete the King’s Registration form for this.
SECOND YEAR MODULES (ALL 15 CREDITS= half unit)
*5SSG2052
*5SSG2042
*5SSG2051
*5SSG2054
Society, Environment and Geography: The Nature of the Environment
Natural Hazards
Climate Variability, Change & Society
Water & Development
5SSG2052
SOCIETY, ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY:
ENVIRONMENT
Lecturer: Alex Loftus
Teaching Arrangements: 10 x 2 hours lectures/seminars, first term
Assessment: coursework (70%); poster (15%) & group presentation (15%)
THE
NATURE
OF
Specific aims of the module:
Environmental questions have been at the heart of Geography’s disciplinary identity for the last century
or more. This course will introduce some of the questions that geographers have sought to tackle, at the
same time as drawing out some of the key issues for environmental politics and policy. How we make
sense of nature matters not only for the kind of environment we want to be a part of, but also for our
sense of the political possibilities within the world. Articulating a position within such debates has been
the central tasks of society-environment geographers for much of the discipline’s existence and will be
our focus in this series of lectures.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will be able to analyse and evaluate a range of different perspectives on the
environment. You will be able to use David Harvey’s dialectical and co-evolutionary perspective on
socio-environmental change as a way of analysing the influence of different processes on the
environment. In addition, you will be able to challenge one-dimensional readings that place emphasis on
single determinants.
Module structure
This module is delivered in weekly lectures combined with seminars and class discussion, with topics
including:
- Society, Environment & Geography
- The Nature of Geographical Thought: Historicising contemporary concepts
- The Nature of the Environment: From Sustainable Development to Peak Oil
- Relations of Production: Capitalism and Nature
- Social Relations: Race, Nature and Patriarchy
- Everyday Life: The Scaled Politics of Global Environmental Activism
- Institutions: The State of Nature
- Technologies: Clean-tech, Eco-Developments and Cyborgs
- Ideas: Ideologies of Nature
- Poster “Opening”
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5SSG2042
NATURAL HAZARDS
Lecturer: Bruce D. Malamud
Teaching arrangements: 16hrs lectures; 3hrs (smaller group) seminars, 6hrs DVD’s etc., first term
Assessment: examination (100%)
Specific aims of the module:
Both the causes and results of natural hazards provide a dramatic intersection between physical and social
geography. Many disasters that occur are a complex mix of natural events and human processes, including
political, social and economic. This module provides an overview of natural (and some technological)
hazards, including floods, severe storms, strong winds, droughts, wildfire, and asteroid impacts, and the
complex relationship that exists between each natural hazard and society. This module is aimed at both
physical and human geography students. The specific aims of this module include the following:
(i)
To introduce students to the basic theory for the creation and/or existence of different kinds of
natural hazards.
(ii)
To facilitate an understanding of the primary and secondary effects (both negative and positive) of
different natural hazards on the natural environment and society, using specific examples from
localities around the world.
(iii)
To discuss the politics and science surrounding hazard predictions and probabilistic forecasting.
(iv)
To consider anthropogenic effects on mitigating or worsening the effects of the hazard.
Learning Outcomes:
2
At the completion of the module students should be able to understand fundamental causes and effects of
several different kinds of natural hazards to access pertinent information on different aspects of natural
hazards using books, journal articles and the internet.
Module structure
An example of a year’s structure (subject to change) is the following:
•The Perception of Hazards in the UK
•Risk Perception
•Geomythology
•Earthquakes and the Hazards of Shelter
•Floods
•Drought and Desertification
•Heavy Metal Contamination of Water, Soil and Foodcrops In Zambia.
•Wildfires.
•Winds, Cyclones and Tornadoes
•Asteroid Impacts
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5SSG2051
CLIMATE VARIABILITY, CHANGE & SOCIETY
Lecturer: George Adamson
Teaching arrangements: 20 lectures, second term
Assessment: examination (100%)
Specific aims of the module:
This module will explore the physical processes and patterns of natural climate variability and
palaeoclimatic change, how anthropogenic influence result in climate change, and how these aspects of
climate can impact ecosystems and society.
Learning outcomes:
At the completion of the module students should be able to demonstrate a conceptual understanding of
the physical processes that govern the climate system. This includes knowledge of the role of the longterm and short-term carbon cycle; climate oscillations and teleconnections as well as the mechanisms
underlying climatic variability; an understanding of the nature of direct and indirect impacts of climate
change on ecosystems and society; the science of climate change and the basics of climate modelling and
climate projections; a conceptual knowledge of adaptation and mitigation strategies to achieve a
sustainable development.
Module structure (may be slightly amended)
1. The Framework of Climate Science
3. Orbital-scale Climate Change
5. Oscillations and Teleconnections
7. Climate Modelling
9. Human Response to a Changing Climate
2. Tectonic scale Climate Change
4. Deglacial and Historic Climate Change
6. Greenhouse Effect and Greenhouse Gases
8. Climate Change and Climate Projections
10. Adaptation and Mitigation
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5SSG2054 WATER & DEVELOPMENT
Lecturer: Naho Mirumachi
Teaching arrangement: 10 lectures 10 seminars, first term
Assessment: essay (85%) group poster (15%).
Specific aims of the module
This module aims to explore the linkage between water resources management and sustainable
development; to explore the various scales of politics of water resources management and governance in
developing country contexts; to introduce contemporary policy discussions on water resources
management and governance in developing country contexts; and to practise applying theory to policy
problems of water resources management and governance with specific reference to developing country
contexts.
Learning outcomes
3
On completing this module, students should be able to understand the role and implications of water
resources management in sustainable development; to understand the relevance of environmental, socioeconomic and political dimensions of water use and allocation at various spatial scales ranging from the
local community level to the international transboundary river basin level; to identify and critically
assess the role of actors and institutions involved in water resources management and governance; to
critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of existing water policy; to demonstrate critical thinking
through both structured essay responses and seminar excercises; to identify and critically assess data and
information through academic literature, newspapers, policy papers (and other grey literature), and
websites.
Module structure
The module explores the interface of water resources management and sustainable development through
the perspective of politics of water use and allocation. The module first examines different types of
water and their uses and relevance to sustainable development. Secondly, the module examines politics
of water use and allocation at the local, national and international levels through issues of community
irrigation, Integrated Water Resources Management and international transboundary river basin
agreements. Particular focus is on the actors and institutions involved in water governance at these
spatial scales. Thirdly, through discussions, group work and poster presentations, the module will assess
the policy responses to the problems of water resources management in developing country contexts.
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