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

Inequality within and between nation states has never been greater, and in many places, is on the rise. This results in greater political instability and social unrest, and among other things, impedes the poorest in society in building resilience and adaptive capacity in the face of global crises such as pandemics and the far-reaching impacts of global environmental change. It also presents challenges to our ability to advance just and equitable long-term national and regional developmental trajectories and design effective policy responses to global crises. But how did the world come to be in this state?

This unit equips students with a conceptual toolkit of critical reasoning and analytical skills with which to understand the spatially uneven nature of development across time, and at a range of scales. It takes a geographical approach to examining the relationship between historical, economic, demographic, political and environmental processes, and the social and spatial structures through which inequalities are produced and sustained. Viewed from the perspective of interdependent national and regional economies and processes of population change (fertility, mortality and migration), the unit focusses on restructuring spatial divisions of labour, access to and exploitation of natural resources, global systems of trade, and entrenched drivers of poverty, to consider how the lives of the wealthy and poor are entwined through both local and globally interdependent systems, and the implications of these systems for the world's ecosystems.

Credit
6 points
Offering
(see Timetable)
AvailabilityLocationMode
Semester 1UWA (Perth)Face to face
Details for undergraduate courses
  • Level 1 core unit in the Applied Human Geography; Geographical and Spatial Science; Social and Environmental Sustainability major sequences
Outcomes

Students are able to (1) identify key drivers and implications of human inequality, globally; (2) produce interpreted analyses of economic, demographic and spatial data from international comparative databases such as the World Bank and United Nations; (3) apply core concepts in human geography to explain and address specific dimensions of spatial inequality, globally; (4) collaborate effectively to address a defined brief and communicate geographic concepts to a non-expert audience; and (5) critically reflect on the personal, social and ethical dimensions of human inequality.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) skills challenges; (2) collaborative project; and (3) quizzes. 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)
Dr Kirsten Martinus
Unit rules
Incompatibility
GEOG3309 Global Inequalities and Population Change: Transformation and Crisis
  • 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.