SV-220 Politics of Sustainable Transformation (Spring 2026)
- ECTS Credits:
- 10
- Responsible department:
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Course Leader:
- Amanda Margaret Machin
- Lecture Semester:
- Spring
- Teaching language:
- English.
- Duration:
- ½ year
Table of contents
The course is connected to the following study programs
- Bachelor's Programme in IT and Information Systems
- Bachelor's Programme in Planning and Communication
- Bachelor's Programme in Sociology
- Bachelor's Programme in Global Development Studies
Teaching language
Recommended previous knowledge
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:
- Understand the complex interplay of social, political, cultural and material factors affecting decision-making and implementation of sustainability policies.
- Grasp how governance structures affect, enable, and constrain the design and implementation of various technologies and strategies.
- Critically reflect on the implications of sustainable transformation for democracy, justice, equality and diversity.
Contents
Sustainable transformation may well have a differentiated impact on societies and economies and may sharpen inequalities and provoke backlash. This course provides students with the opportunity to discuss, assess and understand the political challenges of implementing and governing sustainable policies and projects. Using real-world examples and drawing on key academic texts, it asks students to critically reflect on the interplay of technological, political, economic, ecological, and social factors that configure the mapping of sustainable futures. Can we simply follow the experts? Who are the experts? Do sustainable solutions need to be hammered out in democratic debates? Are new arenas needed for collaboration, socio-technical experimentation, and governance models? Which actors are empowered in sustainable transformation and who is excluded?
Teaching and learning methods
Seminars will involve short presentations by the course lecturer, followed by discussions and a class activity. Time will be dedicated to the research into of particular cases identified by the students themselves. Estimated workload is 270 hours.
The teaching will take place in February and March.