PhD course: Current issues in sustainability research (7.5 ECTS)
Context
Global environmental threats have suddenly become part of our everyday life, both in the
form of news about natural disasters in different parts of the world and through a series of
new scientific discoveries. Scientific knowledge about our planet as a system in which there is
interplay between the atmosphere, oceans and land surfaces has increased dramatically in
recent decades. In step with that development it is becoming progressively clearer that our
political and economic systems must take these global challenges seriously. Sustainable
development was launched 20+ years ago as society’s response both to conventional social
problems, such as poverty, conflicts and ill-health, and to the new global environmental
problems, such as climate changes, the loss of biological diversity, water shortage and
changes in land-use. Sustainability is a concept that is becoming increasingly used as human
societies recognize the finite nature of many natural resources and the lingering ill effects of
overconsumption, pollution, and poorly planned land uses. Sustainability science is a broad
scientific field which studies integrated social and natural systems, processes and structures
and in which the objective of knowledge is the promotion of transitions towards
sustainability.
The research area ranges over global, regional and local issues, events and relations. It focuses
on the two important interfaces between the natural sciences and the social sciences and
between scientific knowledge and the use of that knowledge by society in order to promote its
sustainable development. Sustainability research is being developed primarily in the interfaces
between existing areas of knowledge. It is thus explicitly interdisciplinary, its objective being
to create new forms of co-operation across subject boundaries and over widely differing fields
of knowledge.
Taking its point of departure in a theoretical distinction between problem-solving and critical
research, sustainability research strives to find new methods of bridging the knowledge
cleavages between the natural sciences and social sciences, as well as those between science
and practice. The overall objective of research-training in sustainability science is to produce
qualified researchers who are able both to develop new knowledge and to problematise the
role of knowledge and science in society’s transition to sustainability.
Proceeding from a brief overview of sustainability challenges, such as climate change, loss of
biodiversity, water scarcity and land degradation, this course will provide a comprehensive
overview of some of the most important debates in sustainability research.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
On completion of the course, the student shall demonstrate
! Understanding of the social implications of various sustainability challenges.
! Broad understanding of various and diverse approaches to addressing sustainability
challenges, such as ecological modernization and de-growth.
! A good understanding of various ontological and epistemological approaches in
sustainability research.
!
Insights into particular theoretical frameworks commonly used in sustainability
research, such as transition theory and resilience theory.
Skills and Abilities
On completion of the course, the student shall
! demonstrate an ability to discuss the relationships between nature and society
informed by insights from both social and natural sciences.
! demonstrate an ability for theoretically informed analyses of sustainability challenges.
! demonstrate an ability for integrating knowledge across disciplines and fields.
Course Content
The course consists of a series of seminars with a list of mandatory readings before each
seminar. All papers must be read prior to the seminar. Participants will be asked to present
their interpretations of selected papers in order to introduce the discussions during seminars.
At the end participants will peer-review each other’s papers. The seminars are structured
around the following six themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Sustainability challenges
On the relationship between social and natural sciences
Ontology and epistemology in sustainability science
Problem solving and critical research
Grand theories related to sustainability
Theoretical frameworks and tools often used in sustainability research
Teaching and Assessment
The course is comprised of lectures, seminars, group discussions, students’ presentations, and
written paper. The assessment is in the form of a paper and presentation of the paper.
Grades
The grades awarded in examinations are Pass and Fail.
Course coordinator
Professor Lennart Olsson, LUCSUS
046-222 0511 (Lennart.Olsson@lucsus.lu.se)
Schedule
Wednesday 14 September, 15-17
Seminar: Sustainability challenges (L. Olsson)
Readings: [1-3]
Wednesday 21 September, 15-17
Seminar: On the relationship between social and natural sciences. (tbc)
Readings: [4, 5]
Wednesday 5 October, 15-17
Seminar: Ontology and epistemology in sustainability science. (K. Nicholas)
Readings: [5-10]
Wednesday 12 October, 15-17
Seminar: Problem solving and critical research (tbc)
Readings: [9, 11, 12]
Wednesday 26 October, 15-17
Seminar: Grand theories related to sustainability (tbc)
Ecological modernization, readings: [13]
Regulatory capitalism: [14, 15]
De-growth, readings: [16-18]
World system theory, readings: [19-21]
Cosmopolitanism, readings: [22, 23]
Wednesday 2 November, 15-17
Seminar: Theoretical frameworks and tools often used in sustainability research (B. Ness)
Transition theory, readings: [24-26]
Reframing, readings: [27]
Resilience, readings: [28-32]
Cultural theory, readings: [33-35]
Assessment tools, readings: [36, 37]
Wednesday 9 November, 15-17
Final seminar for presentation of participant’s reports (L. Olsson)
Readings
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Perrings, C., Future challenges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
2007. 104(39): p. 15179.
Kates, R.W., et al., Sustainability Science. Science, 2001. 292(5517): p. 641-642.
Rockstrom, J., et al., A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 2009. 461(7263): p.
472-475.
Goldman, M. and R.A. Schurman, Closing the" great divide": New social theory on
society and nature. Annual Review of Sociology, 2000. 26: p. 563-584.
Khagram, S., et al., Thinking about knowing: conceptual foundations for
interdisciplinary environmental research. Environmental Conservation, 2010. 37(4):
p. 388-397.
Forsyth, T., Critical realism and political ecology, in After postmodernism: an
introduction to critical realism, J. Lopez and G. Potter, Editors. 2001, Athlone Press:
London. p. 146-154.
Max-Neef, M., Foundations of transdisciplinarity. Ecological Economics, 2005. 53: p.
5-16.
Clark, W.C., Sustainability science: A room of its own. Proc Natl Acad Sci US A,
2007. 104(6): p. 1737-1738.
Jerneck, A., et al., Structuring sustainability science. Sustainability Science, 2010. 6:
p. 69-82.
Turner, B. and P. Robbins, Land-change science and political ecology: similarities,
differences, and implications for sustainability science. Annual review of environment
and resources, 2008. 33: p. 295-316.
Cox, R., Social Forces, States and World Orders: Beyond International Relations
Theory. Millennium, 1981. 10(2): p. 126-155.
Bryant, R.L., Power, knowledge and political ecology in the third world: a review.
Progress in physical geography, 1998. 22(1): p. 79.
Jänicke, M., Ecological modernisation: new perspectives. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 2008. 16(5): p. 557-565.
Levi-Faur, D., The global diffusion of regulatory capitalism. The ANNALS of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2005. 598(1): p. 12-32.
Levi-Faur, D. and J. Jordana, The rise of regulatory capitalism: The global diffusion of
a new order. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science,
2005. 598(1): p. 200-217.
Latouche, S., De-growth: an electoral stake? The international journal of inclusive
democracy, 2007. 3(1).
Fotopoulos, T., Is degrowth compatible with a market economy? The international
journal of inclusive democracy, 2007. 3(1).
Kerschner, C., Economic de-growth vs. steady-state economy. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 2010. 18(6): p. 544-551.
Hornborg, A., Towards an ecological theory of unequal exchange: articulating world
system theory and ecological economics. Ecological Economics, 1998. 25(1): p. 127136.
Hornborg, A., Cornucopia or zero-sum game? The epistemology of sustainability.
Journal of world-systems research, 2003. 9(2): p. 205-216.
Mann, M., Explaining the world as a system: can it be done? The British Journal of
Sociology, 2010. 61: p. 177-182.
Beck, U., Climate for Change, or How to Create a Green Modernity? Theory, Culture
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Beck, U., Remapping social inequalities in an age of climate change: for a
cosmopolitan renewal of sociology*. Global networks, 2010. 10(2): p. 165-181.
Geels, F., W., Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a
multi-level perspective and a case-study. Research Policy, 2002. 31(8-9): p. 12571274.
Geels, F. and J. Schot, Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways. Research
Policy, 2007. 36(3): p. 399-417.
Geels, F.W., The multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions: Responses to
seven criticisms. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 2011.
Jerneck, A. and L. Olsson, Breaking out of Sustainability Impasses in Global Health:
Frame analysis and transition theory in sustainability science. International Journal of
Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2011. accepted.
Adger, W.N., Social and ecological resilience: are they related? Progress in Human
Geography, 2000. 24(3): p. 347-364.
Brand, F.S. and K. Jax, Focusing the meaning (s) of resilience: resilience as a
descriptive concept and a boundary object. Ecology and Society, 2007. 12(1): p. 23.
Folke, C., et al., Resilience thinking: integrating resilience, adaptability and
transformability. Ecology and Society, 2010. 15(4): p. 20.
Holling, C.S., Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of
Ecology and Systematics, 1973. 4: p. 1-24.
Smith, A. and A. Stirling, The Politics of Social-ecological Resilience and Sustainable
Socio-technical Transitions. Ecology and Society, 2010. 15(1:11): p. 13.
Douglas, M., A history of grid and group cultural theory. HTTP:< http://www. chass.
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O’Riordan, T. and A. Jordan, Institutions, climate change and cultural theory:
towards a common analytical framework. Global Environmental Change, 1999. 9(2):
p. 81-93.
Thompson, M., Cultural Theory and integrated assessment. Environmental Modeling
& Assessment, 1997. 2(3): p. 139-150.
Ness, B., S. Anderberg, and L. Olsson, Structuring problems in sustainability science:
The multi-level DPSIR framework. Geoforum, 2010. 41(3): p. 479-488
Ness, B., et al., Categorising Assessment Tools for Sustainability. Ecological
Economics, 2007. 60(3): p. 498-508.