Syllabus for Critical Perspectives on Sustainable Development in Sweden

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• account for different actors' perspective on sustainable development in Sweden, and critically review their different definitions of and indicators of sustainable development;
• account for and critically review the origin and development of the Swedish sustainability discourse, and conflicting conceptions of Sweden as a world leader within the sustainability field;
• account for what characterises Swedish work and Swedish initiatives for sustainable development at the local, regional and international level;
• critically relate to and evaluate Swedish actors' visions and solutions that aims at a sustainable future, and their different strategies to achieve a sustainable society in a global context.

Content

The course starts out with analysing and evaluating different dimensions of and perspectives on sustainable development in Sweden. On the basis of that starting point, the course highlights practical work for sustainable development and the societal/scientific debate concerning the subject. To deepen the understanding of the complex sustainability challenge the course provides a historical description of how sustainable development through time and space has been handled and interpreted in different Swedish contexts and by different Swedish actors. On the general level the course aims encourage to a critical discussion and reflection concerning Swedish actors' visions about a sustainable future, and their different strategies to achieve a sustainable society.

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and workshops. The lectures are given by guest lecturers from various academic disciplines and relevant areas of society. Ample opportunities are provided for active student participation and critical reflection. Participation in seminars and workshops is compulsory. Non-compulsory study visits or equivalent may occur.

Assessment

The student is examined through written preparation for (2 credits) and active participation in seminars and workshops (1.5 credits), and through written documentation (3.5 credits) and oral presentation (0.5 credit) of a project.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Other directives

Active participation is reassessed through a re-seminar. If a student after having been offered a re-seminar still does not meet the requirements to pass the active participation elements the examiner can choose reassessment by another method.