University of the West Indies

This course explores the impact of human population growth on Earth's species and habitats, and the current approaches to conservation of biodiversity. It discusses the impacts of the earliest human migrations into previously uninhabited lands, to the current and future projected impacts of climate change on biodiversity. Topics include: the primary drivers of change in ecological systems; secondary processes and synergistic feedbacks this change creates; strategies and actions to raise awareness of humanity's dependence on biodiversity; goal for conservation and management of biodiversity in the 21st century.

This course examines how biological and cultural factors influence the development of gender identities and gender roles and the concepts of masculinity and femininity. It also explores how these gender identities and roles affect our personal, social, and professional lives. This course enables students to understand some of the major conceptual and theoretical approaches to the study of the psychology of gender and the influence of gender on our thoughts and behaviors.

This course examines the decisions and processes involved in the development of an integrated marketing plan. It covers the benefit of an integrated marketing plan and its importance to marketers; each element of the promotional mix; the advantages and disadvantages of each element of the promotional mix; how each element of the promotional mix can be implemented; objectives for a campaign; developing a budget; and creating marketing messages appropriate for broadcast, print, direct marketing and social media.

This course examines the study of the interactions between crop plants and their abiotic and biotic environments within the tropical agroecosystem. In this course, the focus is on the environmental relations of individual crop species (autecology). Characteristics of the crop production system will be studied along with human and environmental influences on the provision of ecosystem services, resource use efficiency, crop yield, and sustainability. Crop evolution, breeding and distribution will be explored using selected crop examples and taking into account propagation issues, environmental influences and crop production goals. Physical factors of particular interest include solar irradiance, temperature, water supply, atmospheric conditions, and soil characteristics (including mineral nutrient supply). The balance of carbon, energy, water, and mineral nutrients in crop ecosystems is also relevant for the analysis of input use efficiency. Biotic factors of interest include cropping system features, plant density, weeds, pests, diseases, and beneficial organisms. Biotic and abiotic stress factors will be identified along with the nature of plant stress injuries and adaptations/manipulations that favor growth and production in suboptimal environments. Integrated approaches for the management of abiotic and biotic constraints to crop production will be considered.

This course studies the main cultural practices in the Caribbean and relates them to the study of culture in general and the Caribbean in particular. Students analyze the impact of race, class, and gender experiences in Caribbean cultural practices, and interpret cultural expression in its broadest political sense. By the end of the course, students are able to show familiarity with the leading intellectual interpretations of Caribbean culture.

This course examines theoretical ethics and applied ethics. The focal point of the first part is an explication of some basic moral principles and theories. Theoretical ethics is concerned with understanding the nature of ethics, ethical language and ethical reasoning. On the other hand, the focus of applied ethics is more practical—it seeks to reach a practical judgment about what should be done in particular situations, or what is the most coherent ethical view to take towards a serious issue, such as abortion or euthanasia.

This course examines the development of social policy in Barbados since emancipation. It traces the transformation in government and popular approaches to education, health services, poverty alleviation, housing, community development, culture, and women's affairs from a laissez faire orientation to the birth and interventionism of the Welfare State.