Pathways to Sustainability: Frameworks for a Great Transformation

About

The course introduces students to the grand challenges of today’s world (for example planetary boundaries) and the necessity for a “Great Transformation” toward a sustainable development of our societies. So far, since the 1990s a great many projects, policies and regulations (e.g. national and regional Sustainable Development Strategies, circular economy, urban agriculture, ecovillages, co-housing, renewable energy projects) have been introduced and tried, experiences got started and innovations realized in all communities, organizations and countries. Nevertheless, the major trends and policies in most societies are still not sustainable and are destructive in nature, despite symbolic actions and many declarations. The reasons for this self-destructive development, caused by specific structures, patterns and processes of our various societies such as unlimited economic growth, over-consumption, environmental pollution, CO²-emmissions, exploitation of people and resources will be analyzed. This will take into account the systemic characters and the complex dynamics in today’s societies, including the individual, organizational, community, regional, national and international levels and their relations and interactions.

One of the major questions in our course are which social actors contribute to a transformation towards sustainable development and how - and in what way this happens, which inertias and obstacles stand in the way and could be overcome? What has the German government done, what is the German parliament doing, what is the function of business, sciences or civil society organizations – what happens in Berlin? We want to consider the broadest possible spectrum of approaches, strategies and actors for a reflected change towards a Great Transformation in an exemplary manner, as well as thinking theory and practice together (in the sense of transformative science and shaping the future). Of course, we will consider and reflect different national, regional and cultural systems and backgrounds for all this. Specific examples which are part of the pathway to sustainability are green taxes, renewable energy projects, cooperative housing, car-free streets and places, urban farming, or even eco-villages.

The course will in the end enable students to understand societal developments, its mainly short-minded actions and unintended consequences, and on the other hand also intended developments, labelled “Transformations”, often based on evidence-based decision-making.

Course leader

Dr. Edgar Göll

Target group

The course is designed for students with different academic backgrounds and a general interest in sustainability and sustainable development. There are no special prerequisites for the course.

Fee info