814.529 (13S) Analyzing Local Rural Systems
Overview
- Lecturer
- Course title german Analyzing Local Rural Systems
- Type Seminar (continuous assessment course )
- Hours per Week 2.0
- ECTS credits 4.0
- Registrations 23
- Organisational unit
- Language of instruction English
- Course begins on 22.04.2013
Time and place
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Course Information
Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools
Interactive block seminar: inputs, role plays, field work, analysis and writing in small groupsCourse content
The course (in collaboration with the University of South Bohemia and Masaryk University, both in the Czech) is designed to provide insights and give experience to students in studying local communities using both anthropological and social ecological field methods within the framework of sustainability science and development studies. Taking a systems perspective, the students are encouraged to look at rural systems as coupled socio-ecological systems (SES) with material, energy, land, labour and technology as relevant variables. The course begins with a pre-seminar at the Institute of Social Ecology (Vienna) with an overview of the theoretical and operational framework of looking at coupled SES. The actual seminar takes place as a 5-day block, and set in a culturally challenging environment (Klikov village, near Trebon, Czech) where further inputs are given and actual field work is undertaken. Here we learn and experience how to establish contact, build rapport and interact in a culturally sensitive way. We also learn to design innovative field methods of generating data that provides relevant information on the functioning of local rural systems such as material and energy flows, time use, land-use, and to estimate quantities of society’s stocks such as population, livestock, land, and artefacts. The seminar concludes with reflection on our experiences and results, and makes an attempt to interpret them within the framework of sustainability and development interventions. Note: The seminar is limited to 20 participants from Austria and 5 from University of South Bohemia and Masaryk University together. Costs of the entire excursion have to be borne by the participants. Travel costs are about 30€, costs for bicycle rent, accommodation and meals are about 100€ for the entire 5 days (a cheaper tent option is also available).Topics
- Material and energy flow analysis
- Analysis of land-use change
- Functional time-use analysis
- Institutional aspects
Teaching objective
The course aims to provide insights and methodological training in studying local communities through the use of anthropological and social ecological field methods, and interpret the results within the framework of sustainability and development studies.Prior knowledge expected
Target group Students interested in human-environment relations, anthropological and socio-ecological field methods, local sustainability and development paradigms from backgrounds such as sociology, anthropology, ecology, international development and related disciplines. “Anrechenbarkeit” Masterstudium ‚Sozial- und Humanökologie’ (Modul 3) sowie MitbegerInnen aufgrund persönlicher Vereinbarung mit der jeweiligen SPLLiterature
Working Paper Number 120 - LOCAL STUDIES MANUAL A researcher’s guide for investigating the social metabolism of local rural systems. Singh, S.J., Ringhofer, L., Haas, W., Krausmann, F., Fischer-Kowalski, M.; http://www.uni-klu.ac.at/socec/inhalt/1818.htm Further literature will be distributed.Examination information
Im Fall von online durchgeführten Prüfungen sind die Standards zu beachten, die die technischen Geräte der Studierenden erfüllen müssen, um an diesen Prüfungen teilnehmen zu können.
Assessment criteria / Standards of assessment for examinations
Participation during the entire seminar (including the pre-seminar), field work, brief presentation of results and writing a short assignment in groups on the outcome and analysis of the research.Grading scheme
Grade / Grade grading schemePosition in the curriculum
- Master's degree programme Social and Human Ecology
(SKZ: 919, Version: 05W.1)
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Subject: Modul 3: Methoden der Sozial- und Humanökologie
(Compulsory subject)
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Methodenseminare der Sozial- und Humanökologie (
2.0h SE / 4.0 ECTS)
- 814.529 Analyzing Local Rural Systems (2.0h SE / 4.0 ECTS)
-
Methodenseminare der Sozial- und Humanökologie (
2.0h SE / 4.0 ECTS)
-
Subject: Modul 3: Methoden der Sozial- und Humanökologie
(Compulsory subject)
Equivalent courses for counting the examination attempts
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Sommersemester 2019
- 814.529 SE The Sustainability of Local Rural Systems (2.0h / 6.0ECTS)
-
Sommersemester 2018
- 814.529 SE The Sustainability of Local Rural Systems (2.0h / 6.0ECTS)
-
Sommersemester 2016
- 814.529 SX Analyzing Local Rural Systems (2.0h / 6.0ECTS)
-
Sommersemester 2015
- 814.529 SE Analyzing Local Rural Systems (2.0h / 6.0ECTS)
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Sommersemester 2014
- 814.529 SX Analyzing Local Rural Systems (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)