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GD106-15 Social Principles of Global Sustainable Development

Department
Global Sustainable Development
Level
Undergraduate Level 1
Module leader
Leon Sealey-Huggins
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry
Introductory description

This module addresses the social and political principles of Global Sustainable Development. Its teaching methods range from stimulus to simulation in order to allow students to engage with theoretically complex concepts through practical activities. It is taught in a combination of lectures and seminars and involves group activities as well as online collaboration.

Module web page

Module aims

This module addresses the social and political principles of Global Sustainable Development. Its teaching methods range from stimulus to simulation in order to allow students to engage with theoretically complex concepts through practical activities. It is taught in a combination of lectures and seminars and involves group activities as well as online collaboration.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Lecture and Workshop Topics

  • Introduction
  • GSD in the Anthropocene: Society and the environment
  • The politics of sustainability: Governance and ideology
  • Sustaining society in an unequal world: Poverty, inequality and exclusion
  • Uneven development: imperialism and interdependence
  • Sustainable knowledge?: Science and education
  • Food and sustainability
  • Health and sustainability
  • Sustainable Cities
Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • To offer a well-informed evidence-based explanation of the key challenges that face our world, focussing on the social and political dimensions
  • To explain the global social problems that are caused by particular forms of economic development
  • Explain and reflect critically on the reasons why some countries developed while others stayed poor
  • Engage critically with various strategies that have been suggested to address social inequality
  • Develop an understanding of the sustainability implications for societies of different forms of food, education and health challenges
  • Write critically about different ideas of sustainable development
Indicative reading list

Baker, S. (2015). Sustainable Development. London: Routledge. (*Available as an a-book via the Library here.)
Desai, Vandana, and Robert B. Potter. 2014. The Companion to Development Studies. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. (Available as an a-book here).
Hite, A.B., Roberts, J.T. and Chorev, N. (2012) The Globalization and Development Reader. Perspectives on Development and Global Change. Vancouver: Blackwell Publishing
Kingsbury, D., McKay, J., Hunt, J., McGillivray, M. and Clarke, M. (2012) International development. Issues and challenges. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Pretty, Jules, Andy Ball, Ted Benton, Julia Guivant, David R Lee, David Orr, Max Pfeffer, and Hugh Ward. 2007. The Sage Handbook of Environment and Society. London: Sage.
Redclift, Michael R., and Graham Woodgate, eds. The international handbook of environmental sociology. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Robbins, Paul. 2007. Encyclopedia of Environment and Society. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications Ltd.
Sachs, J.D. (2015). The age of sustainable development. New York: Columbia University Press
Additional journal articles and resources will be made available on the moodle site

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Research element

Research skills are embedded into the teaching strategy of the module; students are expected to read and critically analyse scholarly papers written from a variety of perspectives

Interdisciplinary

This is a core module on the Global Sustainable Development course which adopts an interdisciplinary approach spanning the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences fields in order to engage with the major global challenges facing contemporary society, explore these 'big problems,' from a variety of perspectives and consider a range of possible solutions.

International

This is a core module on the Global Sustainable Development course which offers a unique trans-disciplinary and international learning experience that allows students to achieve breadth and depth of knowledge.

Subject specific skills

Ability to:
critically assess and analyse sustainability issues that need to be addressed, including real-life examples
use and apply established frameworks and methodologies for analysing the impact(s) of a behaviour or process
generate and evaluate different models of sustainable development to assess their likely impact
actively implement or contribute to changes that promote sustainable development within the scope of own learning experience
engage with real-life problems relevant to sustainable development
use historical knowledge and an understanding of the consequences of past actions to envision how futures may be shaped
identify the importance of empowering individuals and organisations to work together to create new knowledge
employ leadership for sustainable development by challenging assumptions and negotiating alternatives to unsustainable current practices
identify the opportunities to support and develop a progressive and resilient culture that encourages citizens, professions and institutions to put learning into practice

Transferable skills

Written communication skills
Oral communication skills
Working with others
Problem solving
Information technology
Numeracy
Research across various disciplines
Peer review

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%)
Seminars 8 sessions of 1 hour 30 minutes (8%)
Practical classes 1 session of 1 hour (1%)
Private study 128 hours (85%)
Total 150 hours
Private study description

Reading, research and preparation for workshops

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A4
Weighting Study time
Presentation 25%

Group presentation - 10-15 minutes

Essay 50%

Essay (2000 words)

Online Quiz 25%

Online quiz (Moodle)

Feedback on assessment

All feedback will be provided via tabula; individual face-to-face feedback sessions will be offered to each student.

Post-requisite modules

If you pass this module, you can take:

  • GD216-15 Good Governance and Sustainable Development
  • GD315-15 Multilingualism and Sustainable Development

Courses

This module is Core for:

  • Year 1 of UIPA-L1L8 Undergraduate Economic Studies and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-XL38 Undergraduate Education Studies and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-L8A1 Undergraduate Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-L8N1 Undergraduate Global Sustainable Development and Business
  • Year 1 of UIPA-R4L8 Undergraduate Hispanic Studies and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-V1L8 Undergraduate History and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-C1L8 Undergraduate Life Sciences and Global Sustainable Development
  • UIPA-V5L8 Undergraduate Philosophy and Global Sustainable Development
    • Year 1 of V5L8 Philosophy and Global Sustainable Development
    • Year 1 of V5L8 Philosophy and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-L2L8 Undergraduate Politics, International Studies and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-C8L8 Undergraduate Psychology and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-L3L8 Undergraduate Sociology and Global Sustainable Development
  • Year 1 of UIPA-W4L8 Undergraduate Theatre and Performance Studies and Global Sustainable Development