Understanding Sustainable Development (30 credits)

Key information

Credits: 30
Department: Centre for Development, Environment and Policy

Module overview

Scope

This module introduces students to definitions of, and approaches to, sustainable development to enable them to develop a better understanding of the concept and its implications for policy and decision-making. The module critically interrogates the emergence of the concept and explores contradictions and challenges posed by this wide-reaching approach to development. Over the course of this module, students are introduced to and encouraged to critically analyse current debates, mainstream approaches and alternatives. Different framings of sustainable development are explored such as justice, equality, ethics and decoloniality. Students are guided in exploring the inherent challenges in achieving sustainable development, highlighting the difficulty in reconciling social and economic goals with environmental goals. Students are encouraged to bring their lived experiences; personal and professional to their learning on this module by exploring local, regional national challenges and responses to the Sustainable Development Goals. This module takes a closer look at important areas of interest to sustainable development; climate change, biodiversity and gender. Each of these challenges has a specific Sustainable Development Goal and all play a central role in the health and well-being of the planet and all its inhabitants.

Syllabus

Topics include (indicative):

Origins and Definitions of Sustainable Development

The Challenge of Sustainable Development

Pathways to Sustainability

Alternative Perspectives

Delivering Sustainable Development

Measuring Sustainable Development

Governance and Justice

Gender and Sustainable Development

Biodiversity and Sustainability

Climate Change

Solutions and Transitions

Module Availability

October and April

Objectives and learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

Define, understand and evaluate critically the concept of sustainable development
Understand and evaluate critically the main principles of sustainable development
Understand and evaluate critically the emergence and evolution of the concept of sustainable development
Understand and evaluate critically the main strategies for promoting sustainable development
Understand and evaluate critically a range of alternative approaches and perspectives towards sustainable development
Understand and evaluate critically some of the most important current issues and debates in relation to sustainable development.

Workload

We recommend students dedicate 15 - 20 hours of study time per week.

Method of assessment

Each module (not including the dissertation) will be assessed via six E-tivities:

E1 - Online Participation (10%)
E2 - Library and Information Retrieval (0%)
E3 - Critical Commentary and Peer Review (5%)
E4 - Examined Assignment Proposal (20%)
E5 - Analytical Exercise (5%)
E6 - Final Examined Assignment (60%)