Foundations and applications of sustainable development

On successful completion of this module, you will:

• Understand the basic principles of sustainable development
• Understand the fundamental ethical and political issues raised by sustainable development challenges and concepts
• Understand and discuss major criticisms levelled at the idea of sustainable development
• Engage in debates about the definition, analysis and prospects for realisation of sustainable development.

Content includes the following:

• the nature of development - multiple perspectives on what it is and what it should be, and on the need for a radical new perspective, the 'Overview Effect'
• the idea of the Anthropocene
• a brief history of sustainable development ideas and how they arose
• the Brundtland Report and its implications
• the I=PAT Equation and its implications
• an overview and critical approach to the Planetary Boundaries framework for SD
• values and the ethical dimensions of sustainable development
• social dimensions of SD and environmentalism
• sustainable consumption challenges
• SD and biodiversity
• contested issues in defining and decision-making for SD
• means of assessing sustainable development (e.g. indicators and indices)
• participatory approaches to sustainable development
• case studies in ethical and political controversies raised by SD
• political economy of SD
• critiques of SD
• analysis of key texts and discussion of films offering case studies.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Preparatory reading
• Lectures from module team and various guest lecturers from the public, private and civil society sectors
• Films and follow-up discussions
• Discussion groups based on particular challenges and dilemmas.

The summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Pre-module individual critical review in blog format (maximum 1000 words) on a topic of their choice arising from pre-module readings (25%). The blog format enables a very flexible approach and recognizes that communication in this format may well be important in future employment. Students are encouraged to approach this task in a way that will demonstrate critical thinking and academic skills but also produce an accessible and interesting text that could be posted online.
• A post-module individual written assignment (maximum 3000 words) from a supplied list of essay topics, with scope for tailoring of topic by student in agreement with module leader. (75% of module mark).

Please note: If you are taking this as a standalone module, then you are not required to complete the post-module essay, however, this will mean that you won't gain any credits for completing the module and so won't be able to work towards a qualification if you later decide to do so.

You will be required to do some reading prior to the module starting, take a look at the reading list. Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGM310