814.529 (18S) The Sustainability of Local Rural Systems

Sommersemester 2018

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First course session
23.03.2018 10:00 - 12:00 IFF Wien, SR 3b Off Campus
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Overview

Lecturer
Course title german The Sustainability of Local Rural Systems
Type Seminar (continuous assessment course )
Hours per Week 2.0
ECTS credits 6.0
Registrations 14 (20 max.)
Organisational unit
Language of instruction English
Course begins on 23.03.2018
eLearning Go to Moodle course

Time and place

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Course Information

Intended learning outcomes

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.

Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools

Interactive block seminar: inputs, role plays, field work, analysis and writing in small groups

Course content

Based on an experiential learning approach, the course (in collaboration with the University of South Bohemia and Masaryk University, both in the Czech) aims to provide insights into concepts and methods for studying the sustainability of local communities and rapidly changing rural landscapes. Taking a systems perspective to sustainability, the students are encouraged to look at rural landscapes as coupled socio-ecological systems (SES) with material, energy, land and labour 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 to study coupled SES. The actual field seminar takes place in a 5-day block setting, in a culturally challenging environment (Klikov village, near Trebon, Czech) where (guided)  field-work is conducted. Groups will be assigned to study land-use, time-use or material and energy flows. The block seminar will begin with an overview of the region, followed by an exploration on how the inhabitants perceive sustainability problems in the area. The next important step in the process will be to define an appropriate systems boundary for this study, based on systemic and pragmatic considerations. Each student group will conduct fieldwork and interact with the local population and with relevant stakeholders. We will learn how to establish contact, build rapport and interact in a culturally sensitive way with the local people. We also learn to design innovative field methods for generating meaningful data that provides relevant information on the sustainability of the local system. The seminar concludes with reflection on the field experience, interpreting the results, and deeper insights into methods, data, and our own biases and how they affect each other.

Note: The seminar is limited to 20 participants from Austria and 5 from University of South Bohemia and Masaryk University together. Participants must cover the cost of the entire excursion. Travel costs are about 30€, and costs for renting a bicycle (option is to take your own), accommodation and meals are about 120€ for the entire 5 days (a cheaper tent option is also available).

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’ Gesellschaft und Umwelt  und Landnutzung und Umweltwandel sowie MitbelegerInnen aufgrund persönlicher Vereinbarung mit der jeweiligen SPL

Literature

Fraňková, E., Haas, W. and Singh, J.S. (Eds.) 2018. Socio-Metabolic Perspectives on the Sustainability of Local Food Systems - Insights for Science, Policy and Practice. Springer, Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London, p. 364

Fraňková, E., Haas, W. and Singh, J.S. 2018. Introduction. In: Socio-Metabolic Perspectives on the Sustainability of Local Food Systems - Insights for Science, Policy and Practice. (Eds.) Fraňková, E., Haas, W. and Singh, J.S., Springer, Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London, p. 1-24

Haas, W. and Andarge, H.B. 2017. More Energy and Less Work, but New Crises: How the Societal Metabolism-Labour Nexus Changes from Agrarian to Industrial Societies. Sustainability 9, p. 1041, doi:10.3390/su9071041

Singh, J.S. and Haas W. 2016. Complex Disasters on the Nicobar Islands. In: Social Ecology: Society-nature Relations across Time and Space (Eds.) Haberl, H., Fischer-Kowalski, M., Krausmann, F. and Winiwarter V., Springer, Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London

Singh, J.S. and Haas W. 2016. Method Précis: A Methodological Guide to Local Studies. In: Social Ecology: Society-nature Relations across Time and Space (Eds.) Haberl, H., Fischer-Kowalski, M., Krausmann, F. and Winiwarter V., Springer, Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London

Haas, W. and Krausmann, F. 2015. Transition-related changes in the metabolic profile of an Austrian rural village. Workingpaper Social Ecology 155, IFF Social Ecology, Vienna, 42 Seiten ISSN 1726-3816

Singh, S.J., Ringhofer, L., Haas, W., Krausmann, F., Lauk, C., and Fischer-Kowalski, M. 2010. Local Studies Manual: A researcher's guide for investigating the social metabolism of rural systems. Social Ecology Working Paper 120, IFF Social Ecology, Vienna, p. 74, ISSN 1726-3816

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 methodology

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.

Examination topic(s)

All Contents of the Seminar

Assessment criteria / Standards of assessment for examinations

Note/Grade Benotungsschema: participation during classes (contributing and discussing concepts and ideas (25%), team work (25%), presentations (25%), assignment (25%))

Grading scheme

Grade / Grade grading scheme

Position in the curriculum

  • Master's degree programme Social and Human Ecology (SKZ: 919, Version: 14W.1)
    • Subject: GWF1 Gesellschaft und Umwelt (Compulsory elective)
      • GWF1 Methoden ( 0.0h SE / 14.0 ECTS)
        • 814.529 The Sustainability of Local Rural Systems (2.0h SE / 6.0 ECTS)
  • Master's degree programme Social and Human Ecology (SKZ: 919, Version: 14W.1)
    • Subject: GWF3 Landnutzung und Umweltwandel (Compulsory elective)
      • GWF3 Vertiefung ( 0.0h VO, SE, EX, KU, SX / 14.0 ECTS)
        • 814.529 The Sustainability of Local Rural Systems (2.0h SE / 6.0 ECTS)

Equivalent courses for counting the examination attempts

Sommersemester 2019
  • 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)
Sommersemester 2014
  • 814.529 SX Analyzing Local Rural Systems (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Sommersemester 2013
  • 814.529 SE Analyzing Local Rural Systems (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)