NES3105 : Planning the Global Countryside
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Menelaos Gkartzios
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aims of the module are to:
(1) Inform students on current planning policies and development issues specific to rural areas;
(2) Inform students of contemporary rural economic, social and cultural issues;
(3) Describe the variety of practices and conflicts that arise in the areas of rural planning and rural
development;
(4) Impart information relevant to both UK and international rural contexts; and
(5) Improve students’ communication, IT, research and writing skills.
Outline Of Syllabus
1. Rural policy in the post-war period
2. Defining ‘the rural’, the global countryside, and social construction of rurality
3. Agricultural policy and politics
4. Rural policy, regionalism and localism
5. Spatial planning and rural areas
6. Rural interest groups and politics of the rural
7. The new rural economy
8. Creativity, art and the countryside
9. Rural social and demographic change
10. Rural areas, sustainable development and resilience
11. Poverty and social exclusion in the countryside
12. The rural housing question
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | lectures dealing with the module topics |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Preparation for group presentation |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 11:30 | 11:30 | Preparation for final written assignment |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 45:30 | 45:30 | Independent reading for seminars (literature suggested) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Seminars (including student presentations and discussions) |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 1 | 60:00 | 60:00 | Group work for seminar presentations |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 53:00 | 53:00 | Lecture and seminar follow up |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Online lectures cover the basics of rural planning and rural policy-making, i.e. contemporary rural policies, the role of interest groups and institutions as well as mechanisms of rural planning and rural development. Particular emphasis is given on various land use and/or community conflicts as well as local, regional, national and international dimensions of rural development issues. Small group teaching enables students to examine key social issues in the countryside with reference to social science literature written from a variety of different perspectives. These seminars allow for students to review cases of particular or contemporary interest, engage critically with rural policies and analyse their impact on rural societies.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 2 | M | 50 | Presentation of a research proposal in a group of 2 or 3 (to include peer assessment) |
| Written exercise | 2 | M | 50 | Written alternate assessment |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | M | Student led seminars allow students to discuss research papers and current policy literature - an opportunity to monitor learning |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The assessment strategy involves 2 summative assessments, both individual and group work, as well as continuous formative assessment (through the student-led seminars) and a final year essay. The group presentation (50%) enables students to develop their group working skills and to reflect on the methodological issues relating to conducting research on rural issues. This allows for critical engagement on contemporary areas of policy failures and conflict as well as comparative reflection of different cases of rural development and planning issues. Student peer assessment is also implemented as part of the evaluation of the group presentations. The end-of-semester written essay (50%) tests students’ understanding of the theoretical material presented in the course and their ability to apply it to contemporary management and policy situations.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES3105's Timetable