Back
| Semester | spring semester 2016 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Paul Burger (paul.burger@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Although remarkable progress has been made globally since proclaiming the Millenium Development Goals, there are still hundreds of millions without access to safe drinking water and up to 1/3 of the global population lives with no access to improved sanitation facilities. The countries of sub-Saharan Africa still have a substantial portion of them. Both, water supply and sanitation are typical sustainable development issues insofar as a) they have a direct impact on human well-being, b) they are related to scarcity (water) and to fragility (waste), c) they are elements of a matter flow-system (water system) and d) they face future challenges with according risks (e.g. ongoing population growth, climate change, pressure on land use (e.g. urbanization) intensified agriculture production etc., not to speak of mismanagement and shortage of financial means). Against this backdrop concepts like 'Integrated water resource management' or 'Ecological sanitation' offer so called sustainable solutions to improve individual well-being and to cope with sustainability. From a social science perspective there are many interesting research questions regarding water and sanitation issues, such as: - What are cultural and religious influences impacting water supply and sanitation? - How do the according socio-ecological systems look like? What's their governance structure? - Does endogenous self-organization including governance, business opportunities etc. follow out of intervention projects on water supply and sanitation and if not, why? - How could requirements for strategies such as adaptive management, societal learning processes, collective management of resources etc. be served in sub-Saharan Africa-contexts? - In what respect does a sustainability perspective have an impact on water supply and sanitation strategies? The focus of the seminar is on acquiring and critically assessing scientific tools for analyzing social and societal aspects of water and sanitation issues within the specific context of sub-Saharan Africa. Sambia will serve as case study. |
| Learning objectives | The students - know relevant topics related to water supply and sanitation issues; - know social science based theories and approaches for analyzing these issues; - are able to analytically position the current issues within a broader sustainability perspective. |
| Bibliography | A list will be given at the beginning of the seminar. |
| Comments | Special course application required for ALL (for details see 'course application' or 'Anmeldung') and prerequisits (details see 'entry requirements'). Anrechnung im MSD 2010: Dieses Seminar ist im Wahlbereich Wasser/Bereich Phil.-Hist. publiziert. Studierende, welche die Grundlagen- und Aufbaubereiche Phil.-Hist. zu absolvieren haben, müssen diese bis und mit HS 15 weitestgehend abgeschlossen haben. Allgemein empfehlen wir den Studierenden im MSD 2010, LV aus dem Wahlbereich erst zu belegen, wenn die KP aus den Grundlagen- und Aufbaubereichen weitestgehend erworben sind. In Rücksprache mit P. Burger kann dieses Seminar via LC für den Vertiefungsbereich Phil.-Hist. angerechnet werden. Prof. Burger is head of the Sustainability Research Group, Dep. Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. |
| Admission requirements | Special course inscription required for ALL (or details see 'course application' or 'Anmeldung'). Limited number of participants (25). Students from the MSD, those of the IJDSD and the above mentioned fields of study 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. MSD-Studierende, welche die Grundlagen- und Aufbaubereiche Phil.-Hist. zu absolvieren haben, müssen diese bis und mit HS 15 weitestgehend abgeschlossen haben. |
| Course application | Mandatory application for ALL: Link open from 18.01.16/noon - 11.02.16/midnight http://flexiform2.unibas.ch/formular.cfm?EID=4645 NOTE: Be aware of special entry requirements. Course inscription via MonA remains mandatory for all participants. In case of vacancies the online registration link remains open after 11.02.16 until the second week of teaching + 2 days. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Environment and Human Well-Being (Master's degree program: African Studies (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Fields: Public Health and Social Life (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul Regionalthemen der Ethnologie (Master's degree subject: Social Anthropology (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Theory and General Anthropology (Master's degree subject: Anthropology) Modul Vertiefung Geosysteme und Umweltwandel (Master's degree subject: Geography (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Wahlbereich Wasser (Master Sustainable Development) Modul Wirtschaft, Politik und Entwicklung (Master's degree subject: Sociology (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Presentation and written 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 |