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Famine: The Geography of Scarcity (GEOG10001)
Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
There are over 800 million people in the world who are chronically malnourished, and world hunger is rising. Yet the world already produces enough food to feed 1.5 times the global population. This subject explains the physical and social drivers of hunger, famines, and related crises in social-ecological systems. It proposes theories that explain famines and crises of scarcity, and tests these with evidence and case studies. In this way the subject introduces key issues, concepts, and theories central to geography, development, environmental studies and environmental science. The subject is interdisciplinary, providing students with a broad range of knowledge and analytical tools. Specifically, the subject draws together science and social science, introducing students to multiple disciplinary knowledge and practices.
Intended learning outcomes
- Identify the causes of hunger and famine
- Explain the relationships between climate and food production
- Identify the extent to which scarcity has contributed to the collapse of civilizations throughout history
- Analyse relations between population, environmental change and food supply
- Explain how solutions to hunger are designed on the basis of particular theories about scarcity
- Have developed skills in empirical and theoretical evaluation of theories of hunger and famine
- Have gained a basic understanding of the discipline of geography and the interdisciplinary field of development studies
Generic skills
- Thinking critically and analytically
- Testing theories with evidence
- Writing essays that weigh-up evidence concerning complex physical and social phenomena
- Mapping data using ArcGIS
Last updated: 21 January 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 21 January 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Two short exercises in spatial representation of data about famines and food security (equivalent to 1500 words in total)
| Throughout the semester | 30% |
Essay
| Week 9 | 40% |
Final exam
| During the examination period | 30% |
Last updated: 21 January 2025
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Wolfram Dressler Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Two x 1 hour lectures and one x 1 hour tutorial per week. It is a hurdle requirement that students attend 9 out of 12 weeks of tutorials. Attendance will be taken. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 4 March 2019 to 2 June 2019 Last self-enrol date 15 March 2019 Census date 31 March 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 10 May 2019 Assessment period ends 28 June 2019 Semester 1 contact information
Last updated: 21 January 2025
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
None.
- Subject notes
Students enrolled in the BSc (both pre-2008 degree and new degree), or a combined BSc course (except for the BA/BSc) will receive science credit for the completion of this subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Bachelor of Environments Minor Environmental Studies Informal specialisation Science-credited subjects - new generation B-SCI Major Geography Informal specialisation Selective subjects for B-BMED Informal specialisation Environments Discipline subjects Minor Development Studies Major Human Geography Major Physical Geography Major Integrated Geography Major Environmental Geography Breadth Track Feeding the World's Population Breadth Track Understanding Disasters, Their Management and Planning - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 21 January 2025