course-details-portlet

SOS8538 - Climate, Environment and Sustainable Societies

About

Lessons are not given in the academic year 2023/2024

Course content

Climate change and environmental damage are seen as a major societal challenge of our time. How can changes in environmental awareness be explained? What stimulates and prevents participation, social change, and the great societal shifts that are needed? What do climate change and policies mean for social inequality, power relations, and social life? How is climate change communicated?

In this course, students learn environmental and climate sociology. The course provides an introduction to the subject's history, different traditions and discusses where we in the Norwegian environmental sociology stand today. The course problematizes different understandings of nature, from the wild and untouched to the one that is shaped by the humans. We discuss the many roles of science related to nature, climate and the environment, and the inherent controversies of the concept of sustainability and sustainability goals. The students learn about how values affect the understanding of climate and environment, theory about how society can change, and how change can be understood as the interplay between individuals' practices, social structure and politics.

Many environmental and climate-related issues are marked by controversy. There are different views on what the problem really is, if something is a problem and if so, how it should be handled. Various actors participate in the debate, and an analytical gaze is needed to understand their interests, concerns and positions. We go in depth on what can be understood as sustainable food production, social inequality and energy change, and climate communication. Inspired by the qualitative method "situation analysis", students gradually learn to analyze a controversy at the interface between environment/ climate, society, science, and politics, based on the media debate and previous research. The research-based teaching integrates academic content with method training.

Overall, the course provides students with both theoretical and analytical competence and practical tools for working with climate and environmental issues in a broad field of practice, both within and outside academia.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student:

* has in-depth knowledge of the sociology's approach to the relationship between human and nature.

* understands how different knowledge regimes compete and cooperate within the climate and environmental field.

* has in depth insight into the concept of sustainability, the sustainability goals and goal conflicts related to the fulfillment of these.

* can formulate and analyze sociologically relevant issues about climate, sustainability and the environment, and organize the climate debate within academic discussions.

Skills - the student shall demonstrate the ability to:

* develop a project within a current climate and environment-related public debate, and communicate this in writing and orally.

* treat one of the themes which was discussed in instruction in an independent empirical analytical manner at an internationally high level.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and seminars 4 hours per week.

Further on evaluation

Groupbased research assignment and individual paper

Course materials

To be decided at the start of the course

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From To
SOS3522 10.0 AUTUMN 2022
More on the course

No

Facts

Version: 1
Credits:  10.0 SP
Study level: Doctoral degree level

Coursework

No

Language of instruction: Norwegian

Location: Trondheim

Subject area(s)
  • Social Sciences
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
Contact information

Department with academic responsibility
Department of Sociology and Political Science

Examination

  • * The location (room) for a written examination is published 3 days before examination date. If more than one room is listed, you will find your room at Studentweb.
Examination

For more information regarding registration for examination and examination procedures, see "Innsida - Exams"

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