ATS2249 - Sustainable development in South East Asia - 2017

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Arts

Organisational Unit

Sociology

Coordinator(s)

Dr Briony Rogers

Not offered in 2017

Notes

Synopsis

The challenge of sustainable development is unprecedented. Extreme poverty, inequality and social exclusion is widening within most countries and the rapid decline of our planet's health threatens the ecosystems upon which life depends. To drive an action agenda for addressing these challenges, organisations such as the United Nations have begun linking poverty reduction and inequality within the broader context of sustainability.

These challenges are keenly felt in South East Asia. The study tour underpinning this unit focuses on sustainable development in the context of Indonesia, providing a local setting in which to consider sustainability meanings, priorities and solutions. We take a sociological perspective to explore the cultural contexts, structural foundations and local agency that will influence the success, or otherwise, of strategies to improve people's lives and ensure the planet's sustainability.

The study tour visits different locations and organisations in Indonesia that are experiencing significant challenges, opportunities and innovations in relation to sustainable development, including food security and agriculture, climate change and energy, sustainable water, health and wellbeing, social inclusion and gender, education, sustainable economy, biodiversity and ecosystem services, governance and cities.

Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit, students will have gained:

  1. in-depth understanding of debates, tensions and opportunities related to societal dimensions of sustainability and poverty in South East Asia;
  2. an ability to apply sociological perspectives to critically analyse the social, institutional and cultural contexts that influence conditions for sustainable development;
  3. strong comprehension, analytical and communication skills for understanding and influencing social change towards sustainability and human wellbeing in the real world.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Prerequisites

Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.