Enrolment options

MUO-E8040 - Issues in Sustainability Politics , Lecture, 5.9.2024-10.10.2024

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 are able to:

  • Recognise the key institutions of environmental governance and understand the historical and context-dependent nature of all sustainability politics.
  • Use key terminology in policy and politics relating to environmental governance and management.
  • Engage with and use academic and other relevant vocabularies that deal with complex socio-environmental problems and that help link sustainability with politics and culture.

Credits: 6

Schedule: 05.09.2024 - 10.10.2024

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 and debated. It gives tools for examining how the roles and responsibilities of the actors involved become defined and redefined.

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:
    • Thoughtfully identify and enquire into the politics around sustainability, based on academic and other resources;
    • Critically analyse and evaluate relevant policies and political interventions as well academic debates concerning these;
    • Clearly articulate and neatly present (to academic standards) what has been learned;
    • 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:

    Course includes lectures, discussions and walks, weekly commentaries, independent and group work in class and a final essay.

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

    • 18h Teaching hours,
    • About 50h preparing course assignments (writing) and
    • about 94h reading, of which total hours each student is expected to use 10-20% for "time to think".

     

DETAILS

Study Material

  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Materials will be available via the MyCourses study platform with weekly readings provided in advance.

    In addition: White, Damian F.; A.P. Rudy & B. J. Gareau: Environments, Natures and Social Theory, 2016. Sachs, Wolfgang: Planet dialectics - explorations in environment and development, 2001.

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: 2024-2025 Autumn I
    2025-2026 Autumn I

    Registration:

    Registration for courses Sisu. Minimum number of students 15, maximum 35.

    The order of priority for admitting students:

    1. Creative Sustainability major students;
    2. Creative Sustainability minor students;
    3. A five student quota for students of Master's Programme in Information Networks
    4. Department of Design masters students;
    5. 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;
    6. All other master students.

     

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

Aalto University Code of Academic Integrity and Handling Violations Thereof

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