GV3CPS: Consumption, Politics and Space

Module code: GV3CPS

Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Mike Goodman, email: m.k.goodman@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The overarching aims of this module are to provide students 1) with an appreciation of the broad theoretical and empirical links between geography, consumption, media and the politics of sustainability and sustainable behaviour change; 2) to develop a critical understanding of the cultural and geographical politics of contemporary society through the mediatised framings of environmental and social problems and solutions across a shifting range of topics; 3) to explore practical and real-world responses to these issues and concerns through group discussion and debate; and 4) to gain the skills of critical analysis of academic, media and activist discourses and visual media.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. have a critical understanding of the politics of consumption, media, sustainability and behaviour change through a broad, critical geographical lens;
2. have an awareness of different approaches to the cultural politics of sustainability and sustainable consumption;
3. have developed the skills to critically evaluate and develop practical and creative solutions to contemporary socio-cultural and socio-environmental problems; and
4. have the ability to critically analyse discursive and visual media in their everyday engagements with all forms of media.

Module content

• Introduction to Consumption, Politics and Space: Module Overview, Processes and Practices
• Critical Political Ecology (CPE): A Lens to Engage with Sustainable Consumption, Media and Knowledge
• Green the Film and Environmental Communication
• Spectacles of Sustainability and the Celebritisation of Progressive Politics
• Community Kitchens, Foodbanks and Social Media
• Covid-19 and The Changing Post-Covid World: Consumption, Care and Conspiracy
• iAnimal, Virtual Reality and the Politics of Digital Technologies
• Food, environment and alternative proteins
• Sustrans and making transportation more sustainable
• The Inequalities of Water Consumption

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

• 1 to 2 hours of F2F lecture with 1 to 2 hours of F2F seminar
• This is supplemented with recorded guest lectures and module/assessment discussions

Study hours

At least 25 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1. Production of a CW abstract with 5 to 10 academic references in Semester 1, Week 9 Teaching
2. Weekly Worksheets focused on reading analysis and questions for the seminars

Reassessment

Additional costs