Energy Policy and Politics (10 credit version) (P02703)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-P02703

This course provides a broad introduction to social and policy issues in energy, with the emphasis on important current topics, particularly in resource use, technological innovation and environmental impacts. It covers a range of primary energy forms, conversion systems, domains of use, problems and controversies. It deploys and critically reflects on a variety of perspectives from social science disciplines and from interdisciplinary fields like science and technology studies. It focusses particularly on the knowledge claims made about current and future energy provision and the knowledge used in evaluating options and making decisions on energy and environment matters. It develops some familiarity and experience with techniques and procedures used in policy analysis and formulation, decision-making and assessment.

? Keywords : energy
policy
politics
innovation

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : none

? Prohibited combinations : none

? Costs : none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Science), (School of Social and Political Science, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
13/01/2009	09:00	12:00	Lecture Theatre 2, Dan Rutherford Building	KB

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will have demonstrated through written work, oral presentations and other contributions in class, that they
• have a substantive knowledge and understanding of a selection of important policy and social issues in energy, and of the contending viewpoints and claims on these issues;
• can identify and characterise key approaches from social science disciplines and from interdisciplinary fields like science and technology studies to understanding and evaluating energy issues, and identify advantages, problems and implications of these approaches;
• can critically evaluate contributions to the academic and public debates on energy issues, and decisions on them;
• can identify, deploy and evaluate a selection of techniques and procedures used in energy policy analysis, decision-making and assessment;
• can apply these understandings and skills, and deploy some of these approaches, concepts and techniques, in analysing a new problem in energy policy, and in devising, evaluating and justifying options for intervention;
• have developed their skills
- in finding and using arguments and information;
- in critically evaluating such material; and
- in essay writing