Skip to main content
Unit outline_

GCST2631: Gender and Environment

Intensive February, 2021 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Understanding our place in a changing environment is a 21st century priority. This unit uses feminist frameworks to investigate how environmental problems are shaped by intersecting factors of gender, race, sexuality, ability, economic status, and colonialisms. Drawing on examples such as climate change, toxic contamination, water privatisation, and resource extraction, this unit examines the material and conceptual links between human and non-human natures, and cultural, political, economic and social forces.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Gender and Cultural Studies
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 1000 level in Gender Studies
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Esther Alloun, esther.alloun@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Esther Alloun, esther.alloun@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation hurdle task Class participation
Participation
10% Ongoing -
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Reflective essay
Essay
25% Week 03
Due date: 01 Feb 2021 at 17:00
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO4 LO6
Assignment Final project outline
Short written outline +annotated bibliography
20% Week 04
Due date: 12 Feb 2021 at 17:00
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Assignment Final essay/project
Essay
45% Week 07
Due date: 01 Mar 2021 at 17:00
2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

All assessments must be attempted to be eligible to pass the unit. Participation is a hurdle requirement. Participation mark must be at least a pass.

Detailed information for each assessment will be available on Canvas.

 

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

 

.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Work not submitted on or before the due date is subject to a penalty of 5% per calendar day late. If work is submitted more than 10 days after the due date, or is submitted after the return date, the mark will be 0.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 19 Jan - Why gender and the environment? Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
21 Jan - Intersectionality in place Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 02 25 Jan - Looking back: Ecofeminisms and environmental justice Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
28 Jan - Welcome to the white (m)Anthropocene Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 03 2 Feb - Natural disasters? Slow and spectacular violences Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
4 Feb - Species, race, gender and nationalism Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 04 9 Feb - Extractivism, frontier-making and many colonialisms Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
11 Feb - Climate change through a gender lens: toxic and petro-masculinity Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 05 16 Feb - Challenging normativity: Sex panics, queer ecologies and disability Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
18 Feb - Research workshop: Case study analysis, tips and examples Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 06 23 Feb - Guest lecture: Dr Blanche Verlie Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
25 Feb - Stories for different worlds (or who is the future for? What other stories might we tell?) Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Lecture recording: Lectures will be recorded and be made available on CANVAS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your learning experience.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. identify and explain key theories and concepts that pertain to the gendered and intersectional dimensions of contemporary environmental issues
  • LO2. apply these concepts and theories to case studies and examples of environmental issues in personal, Australian, and transnational contexts
  • LO3. identify and critique the presentation of environmental problems as value-neutral
  • LO4. analyse your own personal and ethical implication in environmental issues according to the themes and theories explored in this unit
  • LO5. identify, research, and critically analyse a specific environmental issue using theories and concepts learned in this unit, and to produce a grounded and convincing argument vis-a-vis this issue
  • LO6. communicate their research in a variety of ways, such as scholarly written text, oral presentation, and alternative formats (e.g. artistic, journalistic, policy-oriented, activist-oriented).

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The unit outline and assessment structure was modified to fit a block mode teaching framework.

Students have the option to enrol in this unit for remote (online) study or on campus (face to face). Further information regarding the mode of delivery will be made available to students closer to the unit start date.

If you any issues or questions, please feel free to contact the unit coordinator , Esther Alloun: esther.alloun@sydney.edu.au

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.