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Perspectives on Sustainable Development

Module description

in the context of the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch in which humans have become the key driver of planetary change. We examine a series of key ideas including complexity, resilience, systems-thinking, and biosphere stewardship. We explore debates around growth, prosperity, and inequality. You will gain a broad understanding of contemporary ideas in sustainable development, evaluating and analysing these in relation to real-world sustainability problems. The module allows you to apply your academic learning in a variety of contexts, through workshops, discussion, and interaction with guest speakers. There is an emphasis on directed self-learning and engagement with incoming professionals. Overall, this module provides a grounding in key concepts and themes, essential for developing further research and career interests in sustainability.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will challenge you to engage critically with the principles and practices of sustainable development and environmental decision-making. A range of learning and assessment modes aim to enable you to understand different approaches and methodologies, as well as a diversity of perspectives on contested topics. 

You will have the opportunity to explore ways of balancing environmental, social and development goals via research-led case studies and real-world problems, assisted by guest speakers from different disciplines and contexts. By providing a broad introduction to sustainable development and discussing a wide range of perspectives, the module aims to increase your transferrable and employability skills including:

• Critical and considered thinking (understanding the diversity of values and worldviews underpinning sustainable development);
• practical knowledge (environmental and social impact assessment tools);
• problem solving (linking theory to practice, responding to novel and unfamiliar problems); and
• audience awareness (presenting ideas effectively, responding to questions).

Overall, the module seeks to equip you for a wide range of careers through critical appraisal of key concepts, and developing a broad base of understanding in different policy arenas.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Summarise foundational literature on sustainable development
• 2. Explain in detail key theories and concepts underpinning sustainable development and their application in different contexts
• 3. Outline key theories and concepts regarding how policies develop, are appraised, and are contested
• 4. Apply knowledge and principles developed in workshops to evaluate and address sustainability issues in specific case studies

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Analyse and critically evaluate essential facts and theory across a sub-discipline of geography and sustainability science
• 6. Comprehend and assess different perspectives, value systems, and worldviews informing sustainable development
• 7. Synthesise material from a broad range of relevant areas to problem-solve sustainability issues
• 8. Demonstrate a self-reflective approach to learning

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Independently devise, sustain and communicate a logical and reasoned argument with sound, convincing conclusions
• 10. Work as part of a team and independently
• 11. Organise and present material and ideas effectively in different formats
• 12. Manage deadlines and targets

Syllabus plan

Indicative lecture/workshop content:

• Welcome to the Anthropocene
• History of sustainable development
• Complexity
• Social-ecological systems and resilience
• Nature’s contributions to people
• Political ecology of sustainable development
• Circular and cultural economies
• Sustainable urban development
• Sustainable futures
• Case studies and guest speakers covering issues of social-ecological sustainability

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to resubmit the original assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Where you have been referred/deferred for the oral presentation, you will be required to submit a PowerPoint presentation together with a recording of the oral presentation (15 minutes).

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Folke C., Biggs R., Norström A., et al. (2016) Social-ecological resilience and biosphere-based sustainability science. Ecology & Society 21: 41.
• Forsyth T. (2003) Critical political ecology: the politics of environmental science. Routledge.
• IPBES (2019) Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Brondizio E., Settele J., Díaz S., and Ngo H. (editors). IPBES secretariat.
• Jackson, T. (2009) Prosperity without growth: economics for a finite planet. Earthscan.
• Meadows D. (2008) Thinking in systems: a primer. Chelsea Green Publishing.
• Nagendra H., Bai X., Brondizio E. et al. (2018) The urban south and the predicament of global sustainability. Nature Sustainability 1: 341-349.
• Preiser R., Schlüter M., Biggs R. et al. (2021) Complexity-based social-ecological systems research: philosophical foundations and practical implications. Chapter 2 in The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods for Social-Ecological Systems. Routledge.
• Raworth, K. (2018) Doughnut Economics. Cornerstone.

Key words search

Sustainable development, systems thinking, complexity, resilience, growth and limits to growth, ecosystem services, nature’s contributions to people, nature’s values, human well-being, political ecology, urban sustainability, futures