Energy, Society and Space

Energy, Society and Space is based on the premise that energy systems have become a core part of modern societies, since they heavily influence the location and dynamics of human economic and social activities. We will critically examine the contingent power relations that emerge from the centrality of fossil fuels to the production and reproduction of capitalist social relations, while investigating the extent to which a transition to ‘alternative’ energies necessarily accompany transformations in the social and political contingencies of capitalism.

This course unit follows on from first- and second-year undergraduate courses that have examined the links between spatial formations, on the one hand, and global social, economic, environmental or urban trends, on the other. We will apply some of the questions opened in such courses to the geographies of sustainability, energy flows, society, space and capitalism.

• Explore the manner in which past and present energy flows in society have been embedded in a wide range of spatial formations and relations.
• Question established binaries between energy production and consumption practices, and large vs. small-scale forms of energy supply.
• Investigate some of the key scientific and political controversies associated with contemporary patterns of energy provision and demand.
• Uncover the tensions between policies aimed at promoting sustainable energy use on the one hand, and those aiming to address social equity, on the other.
• Highlight the role of space and place in the movement towards a ‘greener’ energy future.
• Challenge the suggestion that sustainable energy policies can be delivered solely via a combination of technical and behavioural measures. 

The course unit will be delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars. Students will attend one 2 hour lecture per week, and a 1 hour seminar.

The typical structure of a lecture will involve teaching, with some in-class discussion, introducing core concepts, theories and policies.

The seminars will involve hands-on exercises in energy geographies, with opportunities for group discussion of assigned readings and case studies.

Digital learning will be supported through Canvas, which will host weekly lecture slides, readings, datasets, and lab instructions. Students will also be introduced to the responsible use of Generative AI tools (e.g. Copilot) for generating ideas and critically evaluating relevant information. 

• Understand, explain and critically evaluate the foundational theoretical underpinnings of energy geographies. 

• Interpret and appraise environmental, security and social challenges around energy, assessing their implications for policy analysis and decision-making. 

• Apply social science methods and techniques to the design and evaluation of state policies to govern and promote sustainable energy transitions.
• Identify and access a wide range of sources to the evaluation and management of different day-to-day experiences with the management of the green energy sector. 

Formative Task:

Mock exam – to demonstrate level of detail and familiarity with concepts and ideas, and quality of work required for the exam.  

Length: 750 words

Feedback:  In-class, during a specialised revision session.

Summative:

Exam

Length:  2-hour, open book, unseen, on-campus examination  

Choice among two groups of 3 questions (one from each). Preparation via a dedicated revision session.

Feedback:  Written feedback provided on scripts and available to view early in the following semester.

Weighting: 100%  

Avila S 2018 Environmental justice and the expanding geography of wind power conflicts Sustainability Science 13 599–616

Bridge G, Bouzarovski S, Bradshaw M and Eyre N 2013 Geographies of energy transition: Space, place and the low-carbon economy Energy Policy 53 331–340

Bouzarovski S 2022 Energy and labour: Thinking across the continuum Progress in Human Geography 46 753–774.

Castán Broto V 2016 Innovation Territories and Energy Transitions: Energy, Water and Modernity in Spain, 1939–1975 Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning 18 712–729

Huber M T and McCarthy J 2017 Beyond the subterranean energy regime? Fuel, land use and the production of space Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 42 655–668

Wood D 2016 Electric activism: Analysis, alliances, and interventions Economic Anthropology 3 174–185

Zografos C 2022 The contradictions of Green New Deals: green sacrifice and colonialism Soundings 80 37–50.

Energy and Society textbook by Bridge et al, first published 2018