MUO-E8040 - Issues in Sustainability Politics , Lecture, 8.9.2022-13.10.2022

Please note! Course description is confirmed for two academic years, which means that in general, e.g. Learning outcomes, assessment methods and key content stays unchanged. However, via course syllabus, it is possible to specify or change the course execution in each realization of the course, such as how the contact sessions are organized, assessment methods weighted or materials used.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who successfully complete this course will:

  1. Be familiar with the institutions of environmental governance and how they emerged
  2. Have a sense of environmentalism as something historical and context-dependent, with detailed knowledge of some cases
  3. Understand given key terms in studying political life
  4. Be familiar with and somewhat practiced in using vocabularies for discussing complex and hybrid problems and linking politics to sustainability issues
  5. Demonstrate improved reading and writing skills with regards to environmental issues.

Credits: 6

Schedule: 08.09.2022 - 13.10.2022

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Eeva Berglund

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Through a selection of texts written for academic and policy audiences, the course traces the emergence of environmental discourses as issues of public and political concern, and explores differences in the ways that socio-environmental concerns can be framed. It gives tools for examining how the roles and responsibilities of the actors involved become defined and redefined. Key topics will be:

    1. Approaching sustainability as a social and political issue rather than a technical problem
    2. Sociotechnical transitions and types of knowledge and expertise
    3. Regulation and policy, including informal initiatives towards sustainability

Assessment Methods and Criteria

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Active participation in teaching sessions, weekly reaction papers, essay drawing on the course literature.

    Grading scale 0 - 5 with successful students demonstrating the ability to

    1. Thoughtfully identify and enquire into the politics around sustainability, based on academic and other resources
    2. Critically analyse and evaluate relevant policies and political interventions as well academic debates concerning these
    3. Clearly articulate and neatly present (to academic standards) what has been learned
    4. Attendance and participation in teaching sessions and completion of all teaching assignments and exercises within deadlines given. Participation in the first session is mandatory.

     

Workload

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    6 ECTS = 162 hours. 80% attendance in contact teaching required.

    18h teaching hours

    About 48h preparing course assignments (writing) and about 96h reading, of which total hours each student is expected to use 10-20% for "time to think".

     

DETAILS

Substitutes for Courses
Prerequisites
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

    1 No Poverty

    2 Zero Hunger

    3 Good Health and Well-being

    4 Quality Education

    5 Gender Equality

    6 Clean Water and Sanitation

    7 Affordable and Clean Energy

    8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

    9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

    10 Reduced Inequality

    11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

    12 Responsible Production and Consumption

    13 Climate Action

    14 Life Below Water

    15 Life on Land

    16 Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

    17 Partnerships for the Goals

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Teaching Language : English

    Teaching Period : 2022-2023 Autumn I
    2023-2024 Autumn I

    Enrollment :

    Registration for courses: Sisu. 

    The order of priority for admitting students:
    Creative Sustainability major students;
    Creative Sustainability minor students;
    Department of Design masters students;
    Students for whom the course is part of his/her major's or programme's alternative studies and has been scheduled in the student's PSP (HOPS) for the current academic year;
    All other master students.

    Maximum number of students: 30
    Minimum number of students: 15

    Priority order to courses is according to the order of priority decided by the Academic committee for School of Arts, Design and Architecture, https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/registering-to-courses-and-the-order-of-priority-at-aalto-arts  

Rules of Conduct - Students´ Rights and Responsibilities (in force from 1 August 2020)

Aalto University Code of Academic Integrity and Handling Violations Thereof