Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit both introduces contemporary case studies from around the world, and looks at what part energy transitions, shifting modes of subsistence, and environmental changes have played in the human story, over millions of years. It does so in order to address what are the greatest challenges facing contemporary human societies: how to undertake wholesale energy transitions, and to develop sustainable food systems, in a context of climate emergency. Drawing on literature from across environmental and economic anthropology, it will examine how these challenges might be met, through re-imagining our ‘cultures of energy', by developing new modes of production, and by re-organising relations with our ‘discards' (i.e. rubbish) and, ultimately, by rethinking the very form of human connections with other parts of the living world (land, crops, fish, animals, bacteria and viruses). Climate change will force human societies to adapt, in ways that will generate new kinds of human sociality, and will require new modes of multi-species relations. This unit will give students the tools necessary not only for navigating, but for pro-actively influencing, how those changes will unfold for the generations ahead.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
(see Timetable) Availability Location Mode Semester 1 UWA (Perth) Face to face Semester 1 Albany Face to face - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 2 core unit in the Anthropology major sequence
- Level 2 option in the Environmental Geography and Planning; Social and Environmental Sustainability major sequences
- Level 2 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) demonstrate an understanding of what part energy transitions, shifting modes of subsistence, and environmental changes, have played in the human story; (2) gain a critical understanding of how comparative perspectives may help us to better prepare for a future energy transition, and to develop more sustainable food systems; (3) critically analyse and evaluate key concepts and theories in: the anthropology of energy, inter-disciplinary discard studies, and multi-species ethnography; and (4) develop key research skills for modelling future human societies.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) participation; (2) case study essay; and (3) research essay. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Professor Richard Vokes
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Successful completion oflevel 1 24 points Unit(s)
- Contact hours
- 3 hours per week
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.