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Communities and Ecosystem Management (NRMT90007)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Dr Rebecca Ford
Overview
| Availability | Semester 2 - Dual-Delivery |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
In this subject, ideas and theories from the social sciences are applied to people’s involvement in social-ecological systems. Subject teaching includes lectures, group exercises and case studies, including at least one full day field trip. The subject covers the following areas:
- Philosophy and approaches in participation and community management in social-ecological systems in Australia and other countries;
- Participation by landowners, volunteer groups, indigenous people and others in planning or management of forests, waterways, fisheries, conservation areas, revegetation projects and other ecosystems;
- Communities and stakeholders, including their values, knowledge, networks and practices in relation to ecosystems;
- Interactions between community members and governments, businesses and non-government organisations, including issues such as level of engagement, power, knowledge, policy environments, institutions and social licence;
- Processes and techniques for relationship building, engagement planning, group facilitation, conflict management, evaluation and reflective practice;
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Discuss different theories and models that underpin community participation in the management of land and natural resources;
- Identify which people should be involved in situations of ecosystem management, why and how;
- Critically analyse interactions between community members, governments, businesses and non-government organisations;
- Develop a plan for engagement, including selecting the appropriate participatory or community based approaches for ecosystem management situations and linking engagement with decision-making; and
- Apply techniques to engage with, and manage relationships with, a wide range of stakeholders in social-ecological systems;
Generic skills
In addition to learning specific skills that will assist students in their future careers in science, they will have the opportunity to develop generic skills that will assist them in any future career path. These include:
- Practical aspects of public and stakeholder engagement;
- Interdisciplinary thinking through the application of theory in the social sciences to complex issues; and
- Research, critical analysis and critical reflection through class exercises and assessment.
Last updated: 10 November 2023
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: 10 November 2023
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Learning journal part 1 (1000 words)
| Week 5 | 10% |
A 2000-word assignment in a specialist interest area
| Week 8 | 50% |
A group engagement plan (700 words)
| Week 11 | 15% |
A 10 minute group oral presentation (equivalent to 300 words)
| Week 11 | 10% |
Learning journal part 2 (1000 words)
| Week 12 | 15% |
Additional details
Last updated: 10 November 2023
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Coordinator Rebecca Ford Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 40 hours of equivalent contact time made up of; 1x 7 hr full day field trip in week 5, 11x weekly 1hr lecture and 2hr tutorial. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 25 July 2022 to 23 October 2022 Last self-enrol date 5 August 2022 Census date 31 August 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 23 September 2022 Assessment period ends 18 November 2022 Semester 2 contact information
Dr Rebecca Ford
Time commitment details
130
Last updated: 10 November 2023
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Recommended texts and other resources
Students can select texts that interest them from a long reading list. Some examples are:
Borrini-Feyerabend, G., T.M. Farvar, J.C. Nguinguiri, J.C. & V.A. Ndangang (2000) Co-management of natural resources. Organising, negotiating and learning-by-doing. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.
Boxelaar, L., M. Paine, et al. (2006). "Community engagement and public administration: Of silos, overlays and technologies of government" in Australian Journal of Public Administration Vol. 65, No. 1, pp. 113-126
Chambers, R. (1994) ‘Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA): Analysis of Experience’ in World Development, Vol. 22, No. 9, pp. 1253-1268
Leeuwis, C. (2004) Communication for rural innovation: Rethinking agricultural extension. Third Edition. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK.
Petheram, J., P. Stephen, and D. Gilmour (2002), Collaborative Forest Management: A Review, prepared for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment: Melbourne, Australia.
Reid K., K J. H. Williams and M. Paine (2011), Hybrid Knowledge: Place, Practice and Knowing in a Volunteer Ecological Restoration Project, Ecology and Society Vol. 16, No. 3, pp 19-
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- 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.
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: 10 November 2023