| CODE | EMP2017 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Concepts of Sustainability | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will introduce students to the concept of sustainability. The first part of the unit will comprise an overview of the sustainability ideal. The historical developments which gave rise to modern-day discourses of 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development' will be outlined, with an emphasis on key events which occurred during the period spanning the 1960s to the present day. Common notions of sustainability used today will be discussed, and ambiguous/controversial elements highlighted. Different sustainability positions (strong/weak) will also be reviewed. General principles of sustainability and sustainable development will also be described, and their implications for human behaviour discussed. The unit will also include a discussion of non-western indigenous concepts of sustainability, and will illustrate how such ideas are culturally constructed. The second part of the study-unit will comprise a more detailed discussion of specific aspects of sustainability, notably (i) world views and ethical values (ii) sustainable conservation (iii) participatory processes and (iv) tools, systems and innovation in sustainability. The discussion of participatory processes will highlight the benefits and challenges of stakeholder involvement in sustainability matters; interactive workshops will be used for illustrative purposes. Finally, the third part of the unit will comprise a discussion of major global sustainability issues, with reference to case studies. Study-Unit Aims: The study unit aims: - To familiarize students with discourses of sustainability and sustainable development; - To help students understand the main principles and ideals that the sustainability concept involves; - To give students an appreciation of the complexity of sustainability ideas; - To show how discourses of sustainability often involve ethical dilemmas; - To foster a realization that achieving sustainability remains a major challenge for society; - To give students an understanding of how the sustainability ethic can be rendered practicable, through a focus on three specific aspects; - To introduce students to examples of sustainability challenges from across the world. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Define sustainable development; - Identify and describe the four pillars of sustainability; - List and describe key principles of sustainability; - List and describe key events which occurred during the second half of the 20th century and which contributed to the emergence of sustainability ideals; - Distinguish between weak and strong sustainability positions; - Describe the concept of sustainable conservation; - Discuss the benefits and disadvantages of stakeholder participation; - Discuss major global sustainability concerns, with reference to case studies. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Debate the ethical and practical dilemmas which sustainability involves; - Recognize and appreciate the role of culture in sustainability discourses; - Evaluate the quality of stakeholder participation initiatives; - Review the successes/failures of sustainability initiatives in different parts of the world. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Blewitt, J., 2017. Understanding Sustainable Development. Earthscan Ltd. 3rd Edition. ISBN: 978-184-407-454-9. - Worldwatch Institute, 2017. State of the World 2017. Earthscan Ltd. ISBN: 978-039-333-726-6. Additional readings will be given throughout. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Attendance to scheduled sessions (lectures, field work, seminar, laboratory sessions and any other teaching session in whatever mode) is obligatory and only students having a satisfactory attendance will be assessed in the study-unit. Students, who do not attend at least 85% of the teaching time allocated to the study-unit, will not be allowed to sit for any of the assessment components mentioned below. | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Fieldwork and Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Belinda Gambin |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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