SUSTAINABILITY 2: SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS

The course is classified as one of the "Minor" educational activities in the curricula of the Ca' Foscari International College, being the second of 4 Modules. It is aimed first of all at integrating the knowledge of the respective disciplines addressed by the first two Degrees in a holistic approach to the Science of Sustainability.

Main objective:
To introduce and illustrate the modern approaches to the sustainability politics, evidencing biases of and main critiques to their narrative.
1. Knowledge and understanding
1.1. To know and understand the main narratives behind the sustainability politics.
1.2. To know and understand the application dimensions of different approaches.
2. Capability of applying knowledge and comprehension
2.1. To use the learned concepts in his/her own field of study.
3. Capability of judgement
3.1. To evaluate critically the approaches related to the mainstream narrative, pointing out the possible need for complementary methodologies to guarantee the logical consistency and the reliability in the practice of sustainability policy-making.
3.2. To frame the application potential of the study within a general perspective of integrated sustainability.
4. Communication skills
4.1. To communicate both the knowledge and the effects of its application using the proper scientific language.
4.2. To interact with the teacher and with the other students in a constructive way, in particular during the experimental working groups activity.
5. Capability of learning
5.1. To take comprehensive and rigorous notes, even by the interaction with the other students.
5.2. To properly select the bibliographic references for the study, even by the interaction with the teacher, most of all for those contents that are not easily found in a single textbook.

Virtually, none. Basic cultural knowledge is sufficient.

INTRODUCTION
Presentation of the course and its contextualization within the learning process. Peculiarities of the course.
CONTENTS
The politics of sustainability in their global, local, scientific, environmental, law, historical, social, economic and epistemological aspects.

A huge bibliography is available on sustainability and its politics, yet without a single textbook presenting all the course contents. The teacher will therefore address the source to use as reference for any single topic. Other references and material will be provided by the lecturer.

Written. Exam will be based on the preparation of a report, during and after the course, linking in a logically structured way what listened to and discussed during the course.

The teaching activity is organized as follows:
a) lecture-style presentations at the blackboard, inegrated by a couple of powerpoint presentations about examples or specific topics;
b) the teaching is based on trhe Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA), a didactic activity for which students and teacher discuss together after the individual reading/watching of articles, videos, films, interviews, presentations, one at the time. This collectivee debate/discussion aimed also at developing a critical thinking on the materials. The novelty introduced in this course is the opportunity to participate in a discussion (possibly in presence) with the Authors of the examined works, further completing the insight.
In the moodle platform of the University will be also provided the didactic material discussed in the classroom, as well as specific notes prepared by the teacher concerning topics difficult to find.

Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion
Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments:
Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). In the case of disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development