In a time of rapid population growth, unlimited economic growth and the threat of climate change, it is increasingly obvious that we need a transformation in the way we manage our resources, environment and economies. However, bringing about such societal change is not easy, whether it be at the global, national or local level. This course considers the complex drivers behind societal change in pursuit of environmental objectives.

Using both global and local case studies, the course will break apart some of the crucial building blocks of modern society and explore how we understand the concepts of society, environment, and the economy and the complex relationships between them. The course will also look at who ‘we’ is and how different individuals and groups experience the environment and environmental change differently. From here the course will explore how societies can and do pursue change, the complex relationships which influence change, the different discourses represented in the global conversation about environmental and social issues, and the links between international environmental movements and local, domestic environmental outcomes. In particular, the course will address such questions as: What are the key factors for successful societal change? What are the barriers? How do we know we are addressing the most critical environmental issues? And how do we know when we have succeeded?

Note: Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduates but are assessed separately.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Apply sociological concepts and analytical methods and relate them to concepts and methods from human geography and political economy to analyse society-environment relationships and to distil policy implications.
2. Employ theories and methods for situating social change within institutions and governance arrangements that will guide and interact with social and behavioural change including cross scale interactions.
3. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of key concepts and a good command of the literature in interdisciplinary scientific communities including human ecology, environmental sociology, environmental history, ecological economics, industrial ecology and environmental policy.
4. Employ advanced research, writing and presentation skills.
5. Reflect on their own learning, demonstrate high levels of information literacy, and interact with others through communication skills that include speaking, writing and facilitating small groups.
   

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• marks and written comments to individuals on assessment items (e.g. public thought piece and essays)

• on-going discussion with individual students and groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course Overview What are we doing here? Introduction and housekeeping A taster – Decolonising the environment - What is the environment and who does that definition belong to?
2	Economics: Inequality, social justice and the environment. A brief history of capitalism. What exactly is our economic system? Why does it matter? Is it a problem or an opportunity?
3	Discourses with Dryzek How do we construct meaning and how does this shape what we know?
4	Girls (not) gone wild Gender in the outside world. How do perceptions of gender affect our ability to lead sustainable lifestyles? Is addressing gender a way to maximise sustainable transitions?
5	Wasting away Australia’s love hate relationship with waste. Are circular economies the answer? What are the pathways to achieving them?
6	Human psychology Why understanding ourselves is critical to understanding environmental problems.
7	Ethics Why do we do, think and feel how we do about the environment and nature? And whose ethics exactly are they?
8	99 Problems Why scale is important when conceptualising and addressing environmental change. What are the different leverage points for different environmental problems?
9	Would you like fries with that? Food, a global case study.
10	Environmental accounting Making the intangible tangible. Who owns water? Should anyone?
11	North vs South? Or people vs environment? Energy, inequality and sustainability
12	Don’t worry, be happy A brief history of right wing, conservative environmentalism

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial participation including a group presentation, planning and facilitation of group exercises	10 %	22/07/2019	28/11/2019	1,2
Opinion piece	10 %	19/08/2019	03/09/2019	1,2,4
Grand Challenge Problem Video	20 %	26/08/2019	30/08/2019	1,3,4,5
Grand Challenge Solution Presentation	20 %	21/10/2019	25/10/2019	1,2,4
Brainstorm Tutorial Facilitation	20 %	23/09/2019	14/10/2019	1,3,4,5
Final essay	20 %	25/10/2019	15/11/2019	1,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Students are expected to attend all tutorials. Furthermore, students are expected to have done the reading for tutorials and participate in class discussions and group work each week. If you cannot make your tutorial, you must make arrangements to attend another one that week. Failure to attend more than four tutorials may render you liable to fail the course. In addition, the major assessment for this course will be heavily based on skills learnt in the tutorials, so failure to attend tutorials will make it very difficult for you to do well in the assessment.

Examination(s)

This course does not include formal examination during the examination period.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial participation including a group presentation, planning and facilitation of group exercises

Students are expected to attend all tutorials. Furthermore, students are expected to have done the reading for tutorials. If you cannot make your tutorial, make arrangements to attend another one that week. Failure to attend more than four tutorials may render you liable to fail the course. In addition, the major assessment for this course will be heavily based on skills learnt in the tutorials, failure to attend tutorials will make it very difficult for you to do well in the assessment.

Value: 10% of the final mark.

Students are expected to contribute on an on-going basis throughout the semester. The date range for this task comprises the start of the semester and the date final results are published on ISIS.

Assessment Task 2

Opinion piece

Prepare a short (600-800 words) thought piece on a topic related to the course and an issue of public interest in Australia or internationally. The purpose of this piece is to create a piece of writing that is deliberately attempting to change an opinion around a particular issue, not just attempting to inform. The piece should be written in a style appropriate for a media piece aimed at a general audience and should be persuasive and engaging. It is not required that you cite academic literature, however you may find references to various sources or data important for aiding your persuasiveness.

Value: 10%

Submission date: 19th August 2019

Assessment Task 3

Grand Challenge Problem Video

Students will create a video detailing a complex environmental problem, for which innovative solutions are needed. It will exhibit sophisticated analysis of the problem, identify the society-environmental links including possible drivers, affected stakeholders, and frames the specific aspect of the problem, via a question, that solutions must address. Grand challenge problem statements are often framed along the lines of “How might we address x problem”.

Value: 20%

Assessment requirements: The videos will be no longer than 8 minutes long and must include assessment criteria for evaluating solutions to the problem.

Due date: In class, Week 6

Estimated return date: 30th August 2019

Assessment Task 4

Grand Challenge Solution Presentation

Students will work together in groups to come up with an innovative solution to the complex problem chosen in week 6. Solutions will be specific and detailed and while they may be any type of solution (ie technological or social etc), they must analyse the implications, barriers or changes in relevant policy, economic systems, laws or social behaviours necessary for the solution to work. Presentations will be 10 minutes long and all group members must present. Presentations will be judged by both content and presentation skills as per the different parts of the rubric. Please note the rubric also includes the need for the solution to address the evaluation criteria set for the

challenge.

Value: 20%

Due date: In class, Week 12

Estimated return date: 25th October 2019

Assessment Task 5

Brainstorm Tutorial Facilitation

Students are to work in groups to facilitate a brain storming session for the other groups in class in week 8 as part of the grand challenge skills sessions.

Value: 20%

Due date: Week 8 in class

Estimated return date: 13th October 2019

Assessment Task 6

Final essay

Students are to critically analyse a core issue/ driver related to the chosen environmental problem that is selected for the Grand Challenge presentation and answer the

following question “To what extent is, has, or could, the chosen issue be critical in shaping change in the selected problem?” The case study may be local or global in nature, may focus on a particular stakeholder, may be historic or contemporary, may be one of the drivers of this problem or may be an institution that could effectively address this problem (for example the media, civil society, a particular movement etc) or a disciplinary approach. I am happy to be quite flexible in what aspects students chose but you must be able to answer the above question.

Value: 20%

Assessment requirements: 2000 words (not including footnotes or references)

Due date: 25th October 2019

Estimated return date: 15th November 2019

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

Assignments are submitted using Turnitin in the course Wattle site, or usinga Wattle assignment submission link. You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as

part of the submission of your assignments on Turnitin. Please keep a copy of each assignment for your records.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request it in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Student work will be marked electronically and comments provided via Turnitin or Wattle

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Assignments may not be resubmitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students