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 enables students to critically evaluate conservation and development policy at the international and national scale from a range of intellectual standpoints with particular emphasis upon the framework of sustainability. Through a combination of lectures, lectorial discussions, case study analyses and interactive learning sessions, students are exposed to contrasting interpretations and experiences of policies designed to manage, conserve and develop natural resources. These encompass the 'fortress approach' to conservation which favours biodiversity preservation through enforcement, the 'participatory' approach espoused by many practitioners and NGOs which emphasises conservation through sustainable resource usage and the neoliberal approach to conservation which views resource management as an outcome of economic valuation processes. Students are encouraged to critique these approaches using case studies reflecting a variety of political, sociocultural, economic and physical contexts. Through studying the unit, students gain a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of competing conservation discourses and practices and their impacts from the perspectives of different stakeholder groups.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) understand the range of stakeholders involved in conservation and development policy; (2) appreciate the variety of initiatives designed to achieve conservation and development outcomes at the international and national level; (3) draw upon critical theory to explore and analyse contrasting approaches to conservation and development; and (4) identify, explain and evaluate conservation and/or development policy in a selected case study area.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) participation and (2) assignments. 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 Gregory Acciaioli and Dr Julian Clifton
- Unit rules
- Incompatibility
- SOCS5502 Conservation, Development and Sustainability
- Contact hours
- 2 hours per week
- Texts
Terborgh, J. Requiem for Nature: Island Press 1999
Articles placed in LMS and optionally available in a unit reader
(These texts are indicative only; by 2017 there may be other texts that are required)
- 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.