Socioeconomic aspects of global change 2600-SAG-GC-2-S2

During the lectures, the students will get acquainted with the concepts of environmental planetary crisis, the Earth system science, planetary boundaries, tipping points (natural and social), the challenges of the Anthropocene, the loss of the future, eco-anxiety, climate activism, the current role of sustainable development politics, ecological economics, degrowth, globalism, climate engineering, green deals, decarbonization programs, and ecomodernism.
Students will learn to recognize different dimensions of inequality: economic, political, social. They will have occasion to discuss such issues as: global connections and divides between and within economies; responsibility of the individual and societies for the contemporary risks. They will gain knowledge about the state of the world, global human population in the context of land resources, including renewable and non-renewable ones. The lectures and conversations will cover issues such as: mitigation politics towards environmental degradation, climate destabilization, climate emergency and climate politics, human impact on ecological systems and its social interpretation, eutrophication of waters, threats to tropical forests, changes in the C and N biogeochemical cycles. Issues related to the implementation of nuclear technologies, geoengineering, CCS/BECSS, and other “technofixes” will be discussed. The students will analyze the concepts of progress, systemic risk, globalization, decoupling (of GDP from the resource and energy intensity), prosperity without growth, degrowth, postwork capitalism, free time society and climate justice. Students carry out small tasks related to subject matter, as well as explore knowledge on the basis of world-wide contemporary literature and present their achievements in the form of short presentations and their participation in discussions.
Working timetable of the conversations:
1) Introductory class: the subject and the didactic aim of the class, organizational arrangements, explanation of the conditions of credit for students. Introduction of the teacher and students.
2) Planetary boundaries, Anthropocene, tipping points and environmental global change. An analysis of the article: Ewa Bińczyk. 2019. The Most Unique Discussion of the 21st Century? The Debate on the Anthropocene Pictured in Seven Points, „The Anthropocene Review” 6 (1-2): 3-18;The Alliance of World Scientists (AWS) , 2022. „World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency”, documentary https://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/, 35min.
3) What does degrowth mean? An analysis of the movies: 1) How Degrowth Can Save the World?, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQrI2GBvn5Q, 36,54 min (access 29.08.20223) and 2) Our Changing Climate, How to End Consumerism?, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omcUaD8pxaY, 11,45 min. (access 29.08.20223). An analysis of the article: Jason Hickel. 2020. What Does Degrowth Mean? A Few Points of Clarification. „Globalizations” 18 (7784): 1-7.
4) How to build an ecosociety of flow and prosperity? An analysis of the lecture: Tim Jackson. 2010. An Economic Reality Check, TED Global, Ideas Worth Spreading, Oxford, England, 2010, https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_jackson_an_economic_reality_check (access: 29.08.2023). An analysis of the selected chapter from the book: Tim Jackson. 2021. Post Growth. Life after Capitalism. Cambridge, UK, Medford MA: Polity Press.
5) Nuclear disasters and the new status of technonature. Discussion of the text: Aleksandra Brylska. Radioactive Spaces nad the Concept of Nature (manuscript).
6) Solarpunk and technoutopian futures. An analysis of A Solarpunkt Manifesto, http://www.re-des.org/a-solarpunk-manifesto/ (access 17.03.2023). A discussion of the movie Andrewism, How to Build A Solarpunk Future Right Now?, 13,28 min., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGcjDnOb_U (access 17.03.2023).
7) The summary of the class and final discussion.

Całkowity nakład pracy studenta

Contact hours with teacher (31 hrs): - participation in lectures - 15 hrs - participation in conversations – 15 hrs - consultations - 1 hrs Self-study hours (44 hrs): - preparation for conversations: reading lectures, watching video materials, making notes, preparing small tasks assigned by a teacher Altogether: 75 hrs (3 ECTS)

Efekty uczenia się - wiedza

W1: discuss possible ways of ensuring sustainable futures in the face of global environmental change (K_W16) W2: introduce concepts and terms used in socio-economic analysis of environmental issues as well as methods of data collection, analysis and use of information (K_W15) Students should be able to: W3: students understand the interactions between human and ecological systems; (K_W04) W4: students appreciate the dilemmas in choosing between economic development and the environment;( K_W02, K_W04, K_W05) W5: students know professional foreign language literature in the field of selected specialization (K_W16) W6: students know the rules of ethics; (K_W14)

Efekty uczenia się - umiejętności

Students should be able to: U1: better understand the array of socio-cultural, economic and political factors that shape resource use; (K_U14, K_U15) U2: conduct original, independent scientific research of professional quality in their specialization area; (K_U17) U3: use source information in English, carry out analyzes, syntheses, summaries, critical assessments and correct conclusions; (K_U09) U4: recognize the health and environmental hazards and put the correct hypotheses about their causes; (K_U05, K_U07) U5: demonstrate the information literacy skills of collecting, analysing and reporting data; (K_U09)

Efekty uczenia się - kompetencje społeczne

K1: Students demonstrate the desire to deepen knowledge in the field of socio-economic sciences; (K_K01) K2: Students show caution and criticism in receiving information from the scientific literature, the Internet, and especially accessible in mass media, referring to social issues; (K_K03) K3: Students can cooperate with a good communication and work with other students; (K_K11) K4: Students are willing to work in a team as a member; (K_K11) K5: Students show criticism in relation to the results of his work; (K_K06)

Metody dydaktyczne

The class is carried out in the form of lectures and conversations. They will be conducted alternately. Additional teaching material will be sent to the students via USOS or is already available in the Internet (movies, Tedx lectures, manifestos). Contact with the lecturer will be possible via consultations or e-mail. Small assignments (which may involve reading, listening to or viewing relevant sources before class, and preparing written summaries) will be set on a weekly basis. It is important that students should complete pre-class assignments, as this will be essential to effective participation in the relevant discussions. What is crucial, students are required to attend and participate actively in the classes. Unexplained poor attendance and failure to participate actively in classes will affect the overall grade on the course. It is not possible to get a grade without a systematic participation. Fluency in English is a prerequisite for obtaining a passing grade.

Metody dydaktyczne eksponujące

- pokaz

Metody dydaktyczne podające

- wykład informacyjny (konwencjonalny)
- wykład problemowy

Metody dydaktyczne poszukujące

- giełda pomysłów
- klasyczna metoda problemowa
- seminaryjna

Metody dydaktyczne w kształceniu online

- metody służące prezentacji treści
- metody wymiany i dyskusji

Rodzaj przedmiotu

przedmiot obligatoryjny

Wymagania wstępne

Knowledge of issues related to the climate change, IPCC reports and the basics of economics. Fluency in English is a prerequisite for obtaining a passing grade.

Koordynatorzy przedmiotu

Ewa Bińczyk

Kryteria oceniania

Credits will be assigned during the last meeting, taking into consideration the participation in the class.

Praktyki zawodowe

No.

Literatura

A Solarpunkt Manifesto, http://www.re-des.org/a-solarpunk-manifesto/ (access 17.03.2023).
Andrewism, How to Build A Solarpunk Future Right Now?, 13,28 min., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGcjDnOb_U (access 17.03.2023).
Bińczyk, Ewa. 2019. The Most Unique Discussion of the 21st Century? The Debate on the Anthropocene Pictured in Seven Points, „The Anthropocene Review” 6 (1-2): 3-18.
Brylska, Aleksandra. 2020. When the Sky Becomes Alive: On the Status of an Atomic Mushroom in the Age of Anthropocene. In: D. Jørgensen, F. A. Jørgensen (eds.). Silver Linings. Clouds in Art and Science. Museumsforlaget, Trondheim, 162-174.
Burtynski, Edward. Anthropocene, Urban Mining, photographes (website online).
Hickel, Jason. 2020. What Does Degrowth Mean? A Few Points of Clarification. „Globalizations” 18 (7784): 1-7.
Hornborg, Alf. 2015. The Political Ecology of the Technocene. In: C. Hamilton, C. Bonneuil, F. Gemenne (eds.). The Anthropocene and the Global Environmental Crisis. Rethinking Modernity in a New Epoch. London, New York: Routledge, 57-69.
Hornborg, Alf. 2019. Nature, Society, and Justice in the Anthropocene. Unraveling the Money-Energy-Technology Complex. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Hornsey, Matthew J., Kelly S. Fielding. 2020. Understanding (and Reducing) Inaction on Climate Change. „Social Issues and Policy Review” 14 (1): 3-35.
Hulme, Mike. 2014. Can Science Fix Climate Change? A Case Against Climate Engineering. Cambridge, MA: Polity Press.
IPBES. 2019. Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. E. S. Brondizio, J. Settele, S. Díaz, H. T. Ngo (eds.). Bonn: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
IPCC. 2022. Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II. In: H.-O. Pörtner et al. (eds.). The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jackson, Tim. 2010. An Economic Reality Check, TED Global, Ideas Worth Spreading, Oxford, AngliaEngland? https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_jackson_an_economic_reality_check (access: 29.08.2023).
Jackson, Tim. 2021. Post Growth. Life after Capitalism. Cambridge, UK, Medford MA: Polity Press.
Kallis, Giorgos. 2011. In Defence of Degrowth. „Ecological Economics” 70: 873-880.
Keucheyan, Razmig. 2016. Nature is a Battlefield: Towards a Political Ecology. Cambridge, Medford: Polity Press.
Khanna, Pierre Smith (dir.). 2020. Fairytales of Growth. Spain, 47, 28 min. https://www.fairytalesofgrowth.com/watch (access 29.08.2023).
Lessenich, Stephan. 2019. Living Well at Other’s Expense. The Hidden Costs of Western Prosperity, trans. Nick Somers. Cambridge, Medford MA: Polity Press.
Lewis, Simon L., Mark A. Maslin. 2015. Defining the Anthropocene. „Nature” 519: 171-180.
Mosse, Richard. 2022. Broken Spectre, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CmeqMe48MQ (access: 8.01.2025).
Raworth, Kate. 2017. Doughnut Economics. Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Reichel, André, Robert Perey. 2018. Moving Beyond Growth in the Anthropocene. „The Anthropocene Review 5 (3): 242-249.
Schmelzer, Matthias, Andrea Vetter, Aaron Vansintjan. 2022. The Future is Degrowth. A Guide to World beyond Capitalism. London, New York: Verso.
Strunz, Sebastian, Harry Schindler. 2018. Identifying Barriers Toward a Post-growth Economy – A Political Economy View. „Ecological Economics” 153: 68-77.
Stuart, Diana, Ryan Gunderson, Brian Petersen (eds.). 2021. The Degrowth Alternative. A Path to Address our Environmental Crisis? London, New York: Routledge.
Superlux. 2021. The Intersection, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys4df32IvrA (access: 8.01.2025).
Van den Bergh, Jerome C. 2011. Environment versus Growth: a Criticism of „Degrowth” and a Plea for „A-growth”. „Ecological Economics” 70: 881-890.
Victor, Peter. 2019. Managing without Growth. Slower by Design, not Disaster. Cheltenham, UK, Northhampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
Ward, James D., Paul C. Sutton, Adrian D. Werner, et al. 2016. Is Decoupling GDP Growth from Environmental Impact Possible? „PloS one” 11: e0164733, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164733 (access: 29.08.2023).
Wironen, Michael B., Jon D. Erickson. 2020. A Critically Modern Ecological Economics for the Anthropocene. „The Anthropocene Review” 7 (1): 62-76.

Więcej informacji

Dodatkowe informacje (np. o kalendarzu rejestracji, prowadzących zajęcia, lokalizacji i terminach zajęć) mogą być dostępne w serwisie USOSweb:

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