Environmental and Social Futures (3307ENV)

This course explores transitioning to future societies that can provide sustained and positive levels of wellbeing, and acceptable conditions of justice. The course is based upon the assumption that the environmental and social dimensions of human futures will be closely related. It considers the key role of indigenous peoples in transitioning towards preferred futures and takes into account the context for nations with different income and development situations. Creating communities that are sustainable, and produce high levels of wellbeing, is a major objective of almost all societies and there is growing demand for skilled practitioners who can contribute to this transformation. The primary topics for the course are team-taught across three major areas. These areas share many essential concepts and themes but are focus upon three core themes (1) potential future scenarios and their key dimensions, and the importance of ethics and values in assessing these scenarios, (2) indigeneity, the postcolonial contemporary world, human-human relationships, and human-nonhuman relationships, and (3) transformation paths to preferred environmental and social futures. Assessment is concentrated upon a major project outlining the form and pathway to positive community environmental and social futures. Online quizzes are also used for progressive assessment of key course content. Readings and materials, beyond lecture sources, will be provided via Learning@Griffith, to help students in their understanding of the course content, development of skills, and for assessment. Prerequisite: Completion of 80 credit points minimum. Incompatible: 3041ENV.

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