814.501 (16W) Social Ecology and Sustainable Development

Wintersemester 2016/17

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First course session
06.10.2016 09:15 - 10:45 IFF, Schottenfeldgasse 29, SR 3a Off Campus
... no further dates known

Overview

Lecturer
Course title german Social Ecology and Sustainable Development
Type Lecture
Hours per Week 2.0
ECTS credits 4.0
Registrations 41
Organisational unit
Language of instruction Englisch
Course begins on 06.10.2016
eLearning Go to Moodle course

Time and place

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Course Information

Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools

Lecture and discussion

Course content

Maintaining functioning interactions between socio-economic systems and their natural environment is a key challenge of sustainable development. This requires an interdisciplinary approach across natural, social and cultural sciences. What is the contribution that the scientific field of social ecology has to offer to these core issues of sustainable development? The lecture introduces the field, its basic conceptual approaches ‘social metabolism’ and ‘colonization of ecosystems’ and their application in sustainability studies. It uses the concepts to explore the evolution of resource use patterns and related sustainability problems from hunter-gatherer to industrial societies. The use of energy, materials and land, the role of important drivers of resource use (population, economic growth, technology) and different strategies to reduce resource use and environmental pressure (efficiency, dematerialization, de-growth) are discussed.

Topics

  • Concept of sustainability and its operationalization
  • History of Social Ecology
  • Concepts of society-nature interactions and their application
  • Social metabolism
  • Colonization of natural systems
  • Approaches to study the physical economy
  • Sustainability problems in different societies (modes of subsistence) across history
  • Material and energy use and sustainable development
  • Land use, landscapes and biodiversity
  • Dematerialization and resource efficiency
  • Demographic development and carrying capacity

Teaching objective

Students gain knowledge of basic concepts of social ecology and their application in sustainability studies. They develop critical understanding of sustainability problems and the potential and limitations of different strategies to meet these challenges.

Literature

available in moodle course

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.

Examination topic(s)

Five questions about topics addressed in the lecture

Assessment criteria / Standards of assessment for examinations

Written exam

Grading scheme

Grade / Grade grading scheme

Position in the curriculum

  • Master's degree programme Social and Human Ecology (SKZ: 919, Version: 05W.1)
    • Subject: Modul 1: Einführung in die Sozial- und Humanökologie (Compulsory subject)
      • Humanökologie und Soziale Ökologie ( 2.0h VO / 3.0 ECTS)
        • 814.501 Social Ecology and Sustainable Development (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
  • Master's degree programme Social and Human Ecology (SKZ: 919, Version: 14W.1)
    • Subject: PF1 Einführung in die Sozial- und Humanökologie (Compulsory subject)
      • PF1.1 Soziale Ökologie und Nachhaltige Entwicklung ( 0.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
        • 814.501 Social Ecology and Sustainable Development (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)

Equivalent courses for counting the examination attempts

Wintersemester 2018/19
  • 814.501 VO Social Ecology and Sustainable Development (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Wintersemester 2017/18
  • 814.501 VO Social Ecology and Sustainable Development (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Wintersemester 2015/16
  • 814.501 VO Social Ecology and Sustainable Development (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Wintersemester 2014/15
  • 814.501 VO Soziale Ökologie und Nachhaltige Entwicklung (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Wintersemester 2013/14
  • 814.501 VO Humanökologie und Soziale Ökologie (2.0h / 3.0ECTS)
Wintersemester 2012/13
  • 814.501 VO Humanökologie und Soziale Ökologie (2.0h / 3.0ECTS)