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Syllabus

HU0001 Sustainability Perspectives, 15.0 Credits

Perspektiv på hållbarhet

Subjects

Sustainable Development

Education cycle

Bachelor’s level

Modules

Title	Credits	Code
Sustainability concepts and problematizations	10.0	0006
Assignment on tradeoffs in sustainable development	5.0	0007

Advanced study in the main field

First cycle, has only upper-secondary level entry requirements
Bachelor’s level (G1N)

Grading scale

Language

Swedish

Prior knowledge

General entry requirements for studies at first-cycle level and

- Mathematics 3b or Mathematics 3c

- Social Studies 1b or Social Studies 1a1+1a2

or

- Mathematics C

- Social Studies A

Objectives

The course introduces the concept of sustainable development as a social phenomenon and offers an essential understanding of complex sustainability challenges from a broad societal perspective. With a practical and problem based approach, the course treats the growing prominence of sustainable development as a concept in politics and practice. The course highlights differences and conflicting goals between competing sustainability definitions and visions, establishing the basis for developing a multidisciplinary point of view. The course serves as an introduction to the Degree Program Political Science – Sustainable Development (BSc), 180 credits, and trains students in general skills needed for university studies.

After completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Describe and explain different ways of understanding sustainable development based on practical cases or policy initiatives.

• Exemplify how different forms of sustainability and sustainability challenges and opportunities can be highlighted and analyzed from a scientific point of view.

• Identify and give an overview of conflicts of interests and goals in sustainable development.

• Describe and critically discuss the "simplified" ways in which problems and solutions related to sustainability are presented in policy initiatives and research.

• In both oral and written form, search for, critically relate to, and discuss scientific literature.

• Present completed work in written and oral form.

Content

The course addresses or contains the following topics or themes:

• Sustainable development as a contested and historically fluid concept.

• Ideological perspectives on sustainable development.

• Different disciplinary perspectives on sustainable development.

• Up to date examples on how different aspects of sustainability are translated concretely into policy and administration.

• Goal conflicts in sustainable development.

• Spatial, temporal, and administrative scales related to sustainability.

• Scientific and critical approaches.

• Practical and case-study based exercises with a focus on problem solving.

Concrete challenges and proposed solutions for sustainability problems constitute the starting point of the course. The course is comprised of lectures, exercises in writing and oral presentation, and individual and group work connected to, for example, seminars in order to highlight perspectives on, and challenges in relation to, sustainable development. Students will take part in practical exercises the purpose of which is to critically examine different sustainability challenges. This includes addressing questions such as to whom, towards what, and according to whom, plus the weighing of different goals against each other through addressing real problems in a case-study approach.

Grading form

The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Formats and requirements for examination

The intended learning outcomes are assessed through:

• A written exam

• Participation in an compulsory university preparatory course offered by the SLU library

• Presentation of individual and group projects and work

• Active participation in compulsory seminars.

• If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.

• The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.

• If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.

• For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

• The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.

• If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Responsible department

Department of Urban and Rural Development