Sociologi: Miljösociologi, hållbar utveckling och miljöpolitik

NEW COURSE!

Course name: SOCB34, Sociology: Managing Sustainability, Society and Collective Behaviour (Swedish name: Sociologi: Miljösociologi, hållbar utveckling och miljöpolitik). First Cycle Theme-course. 15 credits. Autumn semester. Language of instruction: English. Offered as a stand-alone course and an elective course within the Bachelor of Science Programme in Development Studies (SGUTV).
 
This course offers a sociological perspective on the ecological, social, and economic dimensions necessary for sustainable development. It also examines how society's awareness of environmental and sustainability issues has evolved and will provide you with tools to critically analyse why there is still a significant gap between sustainability rhetoric and practice in many areas. You will examine strategies that take place in the name of sustainable development in civil society, the political arena and the market, and how these spheres interact in the transition process. The teaching consists of lectures, exercises, group assignments and seminars.

Module 1: The Concept of Sustainability

We will explore the concept of sustainability and the relationship between nature and society, using sociological theories of risk, knowledge uncertainty, and modernity, along with perspectives from environmental ethics. The aim is for you to gain a basic sociological understanding of the cultural background, different beliefs, and often rigid and conflicting framing that surrounds issues of sustainability and the relationship between nature and society. Understanding humans as social, norm-creating, and norm-challenging beings is essential to grasp the root of, and potential solutions to, sustainability conflicts related to power, inequality, and differing truth claims.

Module 2: Sustainability Work

In this second part, you will deepen your studies from part one, and connect them to practical actions at different levels of society. You will examine how social movements have evolved throughout modern history in response to global and local environmental pressures, animal treatment, and the link between sustainability and a good life. We will analyse why some aspects of social movements' work become part of policy, legislation, and market practices, while others are dismissed as unrealistic or utopian. You will explore the opportunities and challenges for citizens to influence politics and the market, and to change their own lifestyles – sometimes in areas considered unrealistic or extreme by societal norms. Concepts, theories, and ideas from Module 1 will be applied to real-world cases, focusing on identifying problems, finding solutions, and envisioning future possibilities.

How to apply for this course

Application is open from mid-March to mid-April each year (Swedish national application dates). Apply via the Lund University Swedish website: lu.se/lubas/i-uoh-lu-socb34. If you are on this page already, please look for the brown "anmälan" button. 

Contact the department Study Advisers if you need assistance: studievagledare [at] soc [dot] lu [dot] se

Course literature, syllabus and more

Use the course code SOCB34 to search the university database for the course literature list and syllabus.

Find out more about the Department of Sociology, where you will study this course:

• "About us" on the Department of Sociology website.
• "For current students" on the Department of Sociology website. A collection of pages for current students at the Department of Sociology.