SUST605

(FORMERLY: FOUNDATIONS: SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES) In this course, students receive a foundational knowledge of core theory in the fields of Sustainability with a focus on theory that supports application and intervention. Sustainability will be defined within different theoretical frameworks, emphasizing varied points of interpretation and approach. A key focus will be on the contextual differences, dilemmas, contradictions and gray areas, on the points of debate and dispute within the field, as well as the points of universality and consensus. As Lewin said, "there is nothing more practical than a good theory." Sustainability practice is eminently practical, designed to learn how to put one's finger on the pulse, read the situation and respond appropriately. The right body of operational theory will greatly accentuate the practitioner's effeciveness. And the deep grasp of process theory relating to social change, leadership and social learning, in combination with the content of sustainability, promises to arm new practitioners with both the wisdom and the understanding to design a sustainable intervention.

This course will follow a format of 50% online lectures and 50% in-class discussions.