Philip Johnstone

MSc Sustainable Development

Lecture: Climate Change, Energy Security, and Nuclear Power

Theory, Space, and Society (GEO2312)

Human Geography practice: Dissertations (GEO2310)

Seville Field Class (GEO2108)

This involves acting as a postgraduate assistant to lecturers; contributing to discussions with students about their fieldwork topics, as well as assisting in 'crowd control'.

Climate and society (GEO3221)

Lecture: 'The complexties of climate change policy: the case of new nuclear development in the UK'

This was the second hour of a two-part lecture with a greater emphasis on empirical examples of a current policy. Building on theoretical perspectives from the governance literature from the first lecture, this session focussed on current nuclear power policy to explore the interaction between a specific technology and broader climate change goals, in order to comprehend the complexities and difficulties entailed in climate policy, and the unven influences and roles of various institutions in the formation of policy.

Climate change and society (GEO3221)

Lecture: 'Theories of Governance and Climate change'

This was the first hour of a two-part lecture designed to introduce the governance perspective on climate change to students. Distilling the main theoretical areas of governance theory and how they can offer a different understanding of how climate change policy operates.

Nations, Identities, Territory (GEO3110)

This involved assisting the course leader, Dr David Harvey in chairing small seminar discussions with groups of students, where they analyse how ideas of national identity are formed through various outlets such as newspapers and television. Through the discussions students are encouraged to apply theoretical understandings gained from readings set each week to investigate current constructions of national identity taking place within everyday media.

Theory, Space, and Society (GEO2312)

This involved tutoring on key essay writing skills, as well as guiding student discussions on radical, critical and activist approaches to human geography. This included discussions on topics such as the work of David Harvey, the influence of Marxian thought on human geography, the shift from 'radical' to 'critical' approaches, post-structural understandings, as well as activist and autonomous ideas and their influence on critical approaches to human geography. I also assisted discussions on Geographies of the body and performativity.

Team Development Programme

This involved running a variety of problem solving activities for new first year students to encourage team working skills.

Seville Field Class (GEO2308)

Climate and Society (GEO3221)

A one hour lecture entitled:  'The Governance perspective on Climate change'. This gave valuable experience in lecturing. It involved distilling theories of governance through various emprical examples, in particular the climate negotiations in Copenhagen. The rest of the slot was spent fielding questions and facilitating discussion amongst the students on various topics raised.

Nations, Identities, Territories (GEO3110)

Theory, Space, and Society (GEO2312)

Human Geography Practice: Dissertations (GEO2310)

This involves assisting second year undergraduates analyse a number of dissertations, and encourage discussion on what makes a good dissertation, and the pro's and con's of various methodological approaches.