Socio-Ecological Transformation

Lectures in Winter Semester 2023/24

Sustainable Consumption (BA-WP5b)

Managed by Dr. Maike Gossen.

When: Seminar / lecture: mondays, 12pm – 2pm in room MAR 0.015

            Tutorial: wednesdays, 12am – 2pm in room MAR 0.002

Content: In this module, basic skills and abilities in the field of "sustainable consumption" are acquired, which can be used as everyday skills in connection with consumption decisions. In addition, there is a classification and introduction to other areas of consumer education (finance, market events and consumer law; media and information; nutrition and health).

 

After successful completion of the module, students can

  • name and classify the content dimensions of consumer education as a whole;
  • assess their role as consumers in the social market economy in a realistic and self-confident way;
  • describe the model of sustainable consumption and explain to what extent currently prevailing consumption styles deviate from it;
  • name the economic, social and ecological consequences of consumption and specify them in different fields of demand;
  • assume social responsibility as "consumer citizens" within the framework of their possibilities of action as consumers.

The seminar is four hours long – with two hours of main seminar and two hours of tutorial every week. The credit points consist of active participation in the tutorial and a final performance test about the contents of the main seminar (test on 06.02.2023).

Further information about the course is available in Moses.

Work and Sustainability (BA-WP1a)

Managed by Prof. Dr. Tilman Santarius.

When: Blockseminar

Content: In this module, students acquire deeper socio-ecological competences, particularly for understanding work in the context of different social and economic science concepts and in the context of sustainable development. The seminar introduces different concepts of work (gainful employment, reproductive work, subsistence work, civic engagement, etc.), discusses the relationship between work and environmental impacts, and finally explores the challenges of changing work models and forms within the socio-ecological transformation towards a “zero-emission society.”
After completing the module, students will be able to explain and critically reflect on the historically changing meanings and different concepts of “work”; explain different forms of work; classify work in the context of sustainable development; explain current socio-ecological challenges related to work and against the background of relevant developments (e.g. globalization and digitalization); and critically reflect on different approaches to address these challenges.
Students are required to develop a “vision” and a comprehensive design for sustainable work in a sustainable society. The module is scheduled for four hours but only two hours per week as a face-to-face seminar. Consequently the conceptual and empirical student projects require a significant amount of time (about 1.5 hours/week) and culminate in presentations at a “sustainability-oriented work exchange” at the end of the semester.

Further information about the course is available in Moses.