Undergraduate Course: Cases in Sustainable Development (SSPS10014)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Please note: This course is only for students on the MA Sustainable Development Degree. Returning 4th year students and exchange students on the degree can take this course subject to the availability of places.
This course allows students to critically reflect upon the ways sustainable development is varyingly understood and acted upon in Scotland. This course enables students to develop knowledge and understanding of key theoretical and conceptual approaches in the social sciences through the context of field settings. To investigate how sustainable development is understood and practised in the field, we will focus on five case studies linked to (a) sustainable societies, energy and climate change, (b) sustainable consumption, (c) environmentally sensitive agriculture, and (d) policy tools for sustainability |
| Course description |
Week 1: Introduction to the course: sustainable transitions?
Week 2: Case study skills
Week 3: Case 1
Week 4: Case 2
Week 5: Case reflection and discussion + Policy brief workshop
Week 6: Case 3
Week 7: Case 4
Week 8: Case reflection and discussion
Week 9: Case 5
Week 10: Case reflection and discussion + Final reflections
Note: this is an indicative course outline as fieldtrip arrangements may dictate a different plan.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | FROM 2013/2014 STUDENTS MAY BE REQUIRED TO COVER THE COST OF FIELD TRIPS. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 39 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Formative Assessment Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
173 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
* 2500 word essay (60%)
* 1000 word non technical summary (for policy-makers) (40%)
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- display in-depth knowledge of different field settings in which sustainability is practised and understood
- demonstrate a broad and integrated knowledge of undertaking project work in a variety of field settings
- show skills through data collection, analysis and interpretation so students are confident drawing on a range of sources in order to undertake social science research
- show a critical appreciation of the multiple research sites for studying sustainable development and relevant methods for doing so
- understand sustainability in practice, drawing on the theoretical and conceptual frameworks covered in the course and in the degree
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Reading List
General course reading:
* Grin, John; Rotmans, Jan; Schot, Johan (2011) Transitions to Sustainable Development: New Directions in the Study of Long Term Transformative Change, London: Routledge
* Yin, Robert (1994) Case study research: design and methods. London: Sage.
* Flyvbjerg, B. (2006) 'Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research', Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219-245.
* Benson, M. H., Craig, R, K (2014) ¿The End of Sustainability¿, Society and Natural Resources, 27:777¿782, DOI: 10.1080/08941920.2014.901467
* Lucas Seghezzo (2009) ¿The five dimensions of sustainability¿, Environmental Politics, 18:4, 539-556, DOI: 10.1080/09644010903063669 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Please note that fieldtrips will take place during Weeks 3, 4, 7, and Flexible Learning Week (between 5-6). |
| Keywords | Sustainable Development,Case-study,Fieldtrips |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Eugenia Rodrigues
Tel: (0131 6)51 4751
Email: Eugenia.Rodrigues@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Abby Gleave
Tel: (0131 6)51 1337
Email: abby.gleave@ed.ac.uk |
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