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17403-01 - Seminar: Governance, Sustainable Development and Democracy (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2017 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Annika Sohre (annika.sohre@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Against the backdrop of persistent problems of unsustainability, there is lively debate both in politics and in science on how to govern societies towards more sustainable pathways. In conceptual terms this debate increasingly builds on the notion of 'governance' which highlights both theoretical limits to classical models of political steering and the empirical insight that governments are not the only relevant actors when it comes to the management of societal issues. Instead, at least within the context of modern democracies, the contested, interdependent and dynamic nature of contemporary policymaking has given rise to less hierarchical but more collaborative and polycentric forms of governance. Accordingly, for theoretical and empirical reasons, the governance of modern societies is more and more understood as a shared responsibility of the state, the market and the civil society. This 'new governance complexity' is assumed to entail potentials and threats for sustainable development and democracy throwing up some fundamental questions regarding the relationship between all three concepts: How can societies be governed towards sustainable development in a democratic way? What are the normative and functional requirements of sustainability governance in democratic societies? And what are the empirical conditions as well as prospects and barriers of democratic forms of governance for sustainable development within various political contexts? The seminar addresses the relationship between governance, sustainable development and democracy in theoretical and empirical respects. First, it will lay a theoretical fundament by introducing the concepts of governance, sustainable development and democracy. Secondly, specific approaches of governance for sustainable development will be critically discussed particularly with regard to their democratic implications. Thirdly, a number of case studies of sustainability governance in different fields such as energy, agriculture and transport (or others) will provide an opportunity to analyze the democratic problem-solving capacity of different governance arrangements in various contexts. Finally, further theoretical and practical perspectives of democratic governance for sustainable development are sketched out. |
| Learning objectives | The participants - are familiar with the concepts 'governance', 'sustainable development' and 'democracy', they understand the interrelations and tensions between them; - have acquired basic theoretical, methodological and empirical knowledge and skills necessary to produce critically reflected scientific analyses of governance for sustainable development within various policy fields and political contexts. |
| Bibliography | Relevant literature tba during the seminar. |
| Comments | For details regarding mandatory course application please see "course application" or "Anmeldung". For information regarding prerequisits see 'entry requirements' or 'Teilnahmevoraussetzung'. Anrechnung im MSD: Gemäss Modulpublikationen, nach Rücksprache mit Prof. Dr. Burger kann das Seminar auch für den Vertiefungsbereich Phil.-Hist. angerechnet werden. The seminar is offered by Dr. A. Sohre, post doc and member of the Sustainability Research Group Unibas, for the MSD. |
| Admission requirements | Special course application required for ALL (for details see "course application" or "Anmeldung"). Limited number of participants (25), Students of the MSD, of the IJDSD and those of the mentioned fields of study (see list of modules) have priority. If you study something different you must do a master degree within the 'Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences' and may attend the seminar in case of vacancies. Course applications in a different way then explained ARE NOT taken into account. Additionally, the participants who do not study the MSD or IJDSD must have passed succesfully one of the following lectures or a similar one (= credit points already acquired): - 11513: Nachhaltigkeit: Ein neues gesellschaftliches Paradigma? - 11508: Grundkurs I: Kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Grundlagen der Nachhaltigkeit - 12882: Grundkurs III: Grundlagenreflexion der Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaft - 41829: Gesellschaftswissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf Nachhaltigkeit or something similar to prove their basic knowledge regarding sustainable development and/or democracy. |
| Course application | Mandatory application for ALL: Link open from 19.01.17/noon - 08.02.17/midnight http://flexiform2.unibas.ch/formular.cfm?EID=2340 NOTE: Be aware of special entry requirements. Course inscription via MonA remains an obligation. In case of vacancies the online application link remains open after 08.02.17 until the second week of teaching + 2 days. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Aufbaubereich gesellschaftswissenschaftliche Fragen von Nachhaltigkeit (Master Sustainable Development) Modul Culture and Society (Master's degree program: African Studies (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul Internationales Zusatzwissen (Master's Studies: European Studies (Start of studies before 01.02.2015)) Modul Kernbereich Gesellschaftswissenschaftliche Nachhaltigkeitsforschung (Master Sustainable Development) Modul Politik und Entwicklung (Master's degree subject: Sociology (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, required reading, oral presentation, essay. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | University of Basel |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Nachhaltigkeitsforschung |