Global Development and Prosperity

Doel vak

The aim of the course is to provide students with a profound understanding of how contemporary global challenges are linked to socio-economic systems and how transformations in these systems can deliver just and sustainable prosperity.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

- Explain existing, dominant measures and visions of development and economics and their positive and negative social and environmental effects, including inequality and climate change;

- Describe alternative measures of prosperity, and discuss their potential for transformations towards sustainable futures;

- Examine alternative visions of prosperity and achieving just and sustainable futures;

- Illustrate transformations towards just and sustainable futures through case study examples.

Inhoud vak

Over the last centuries, humankind has seen tremendous improvements in health, education and income, but at the same time this drive for economic growth and consumerist lifestyles has caused serious and sometimes irreparable damages to global biodiversity, climate systems and habitats, as well as major socio-economic inequalities and injustices.

The course first explores the history of such growth paradigms. Has emphasis on GDP growth equally benefited different world regions and people’s quality of life? We will discuss how growth-oriented visions of development have been globalized, and how they relate to current global environmental and social challenges.

This leads us to the question: What does GDP as an indicator tell us? What does it mean to live a good life? How do you measure if someone lives a good life? We review some of the dominant measures of prosperity and the assumptions on which they rest, as well as alternative measures of prosperity, including happiness, quality of life and capabilities. Does it matter which metric we use?

Next, we explore alternative ideas and visions of prosperity for the planet and respond to these global challenges. What would a prosperous society focused on long-term well-being look like, and how do we get there? How can citizens and consumers, farmers, or academics contribute to such a society? We will discuss the underlying assumptions of some of the existing frameworks for sustainable development as well as more radical proposals for transition and transformation towards prosperity. Using case studies of suggested transitions, we will critically evaluate whether such transformations will be sustainable and just, and how different stakeholders react to, and benefit from, these transformations.

Aanvullende informatie onderwijsvormen

The course consists of lectures, guest lectures, and seminars for discussions and group activities. The course runs for 7 weeks during period 2. Each week, there will be a lecture addressing the main material (2 hours), a guest lecture by VU researchers or external speakers illustrating the topic of the week (1 hour), and a seminar to explore the topic further (2 hours).

Some of the seminars will be dedicated to the development of the argument map (see below). This is an opportunity to get feedback on the content and format of the argument map from peers and lecturers. Some lectures will be pre-recorded. Attendance in all live sessions is mandatory, but will be checked irregularly. We assume students are sufficiently serious and will show up at every class, barring unforeseen circumstances. Attending class is likely to increase your grade so attending classes is in your own interest.

The course corresponds to 6 ECTS, equivalent to 168 hours of study time. Students can expect the following:

• Attending/viewing lectures: 35 hours
• Mandatory readings: 45 hours
• Preparing for seminars / group discussions: 38 hours
• Developing argument map: 50 hours
• TOTAL: 168 hours

Toetsvorm

The overall mark for this course is based on two separate grades:

• Argument map, accompanied by an annotated bibliography and 2 peer-reviews (50%)
• Closed-book written exam (50%)

Students who take part in the minor Sustainability, Global Challenges, Interdisciplinary Solutions are recommended to develop their argument map for their topic/case selected in course 1.

Further details on the assignments will be provided in the course manual.

Vereiste voorkennis

Students do not require a specific disciplinary background, but affinity with the natural environment and social-economic development is desirable.

Literatuur

Each week, a selection of articles will be recommended to be studied in advance of the lectures and seminars.

Aanvullende informatie doelgroep

This course is part of the minor "Sustainability: Global Challenges, Interdisciplinary Solutions". We strongly encourage students to take all courses of the minor.

This course is suitable for students with an interest in the link between the natural environment and social-economic development.

This course can also be taken as:

• Extra-curricular course for VU-students

• Extra-curricular course for non-VU-students.

Toelichting Canvas

The course manual, as well as further course materials (e.g. lecture slides, reading materials), and course announcements will be circulated through Canvas.

Aanbevolen voorkennis

We strongly encourage students to take all courses of the minor "Sustainability, Global Challenges, Interdisciplinary Solutions", as a personal "Grand Challenge" comes back in different assignments of the five minor courses. Work in the preceding courses forms relevant input to the assignment of this course.