Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE YTH5038

 
TITLE Sustainability and Community Development

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Youth, Community and Migration Studies

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit will provide engagement with foundational concepts and perspectives on sustainable development and traditions and trends in policy-making for sustainable development.

Further to that, key economics perspectives on environmental degradation (covering insights on causes, sources and implications of GDP, Wellbeing, Equity and Sustainability) will be presented and discussed. Students will also gain exposure to economists' toolkit for understanding the costs and benefits of intervention mechanisms (taxes, subsidies, penalties, education, nudges etc. The unit will conclude with a discussion of key insights for Social Cost Benefit Analysis of environmental degradation (basic concepts, valuation methods); as well as exposure to advocacy and social learning entrenched in environmental consciousness and sustainable development: critical / gerontological / environmental / educational perspectives.

Study-Unit Aims:

The aim of this study-unit is to encourage students to develop an ability to critically analyze and discuss sustainability in the context of community development, in theory and in practice.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Identify market forces and government policies and their combined effects on the environment;
- Explain important contemporary national and global environmental issues and their drivers;
- List implications of various types of policy responses;
- Outline debates on sustainability;
- Summarize educational initiatives to promote an environmental consciousness and promote sustainable development.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Analyze problems and policies relevant to major environmental issues;
- Critically evaluate public policies and activities that affect the environment;
- Meaningfully engage in discussions in disciplines relevant to environmental problems;
- Apply the principles of advocacy and social learning as part of a community development programme;
- Apply the principles of the co-operative system, especially to foster social enterprise to fight socio-economic and environmental problems.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Callan, S. & Thomas, J. (2012). Environmental Economics and Management: Theory, Policy, and Applications. Cengage Learning.
- Centre for Environmental Education (CEE). (2007). Moving forward from Ahmedabad Environmental Education in the 21st Century. 4th International Conference on Environmental Education. Ahmedabad, India, 26-28 November 2007.
- Johnson E. (Ed.). (2009). Environmental Education and Advocacy: Changing Perspectives of Ecology and Education. UK: Cambridge University Press.
- Kerry Turner, R., Pearce, D.W. & Bateman, I. (1993). Environmental Economics: An Elementary Introduction. Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press.

Supplementary Readings:

- Ashford N.A. & Hall R.P. (2011). Technology, Globalisation and Sustainable Development: Transforming the Industrial State. US: Yale University Press.
- Blewitt, J (2008). Understanding Sustainable Development. UK: Routledge.
- Chambers, R. (2007). Who Counts? The Quiet Revolution of Participation and Numbers. Brighton: IDS.
- Cooper. C. L., & Roberston, I.T. (Eds.). (Costabile, L (Ed.). (2008). Institutions for social well-being: Alternative for Europe. Hampshire, England: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Haworth, J., & Hart, J (Eds.). (2007). Well-being: Individual, community and social perspectives. Hampshire, England: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Johnson E. (Ed.). (2009). Environmental Education and Advocacy: Changing Perspectives of Ecology and Education. UK: Cambridge University Press.
- Kerry Turner, R., Pearce, D.W. & Bateman, I. (1993). Environmental Economics: An Elementary Introduction. Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press.
- Mifsud, M. (2011). Maltese Youth and the Environment: A Qualitative Study. In Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability 12(2), pp. 110-128.
- Robertson M. (2014). Sustainability: Principles and Practice. UK: Routledge.
- Sachs, J. D. (2015). The Age of Sustainable Development. US: Columbia University Press.
- Wacker, R.R. and Roberto, K.A. (2013). Community resources for older adults: Programs and services in an era of change. 4th Edition. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications.
- White, P.J. (2002). Global Youth Work: Improving Practice Series. London: DEA.
- Baldacchino, G., A. Caruana, A. & M. Grixti. (Eds.). (2003). Managing People in Malta. Malta: Agenda.
- Findsen, B. & Formosa, M. (2011). Lifelong learning in later life: A handbook on older adult learning. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense.
- Formosa, M. & Scerri, C. (2015). Population ageing in Malta: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Malta: BDL.
- Henslin, J.M. & Fowler, L.A. (2010). Social Problems: A Down-to-Earth Approach, tenth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
- Principi, A., Jensen, P.H. & Lamura, G. (2014). Active ageing: Voluntary work by older people in Europe. Bristol: Policy Press.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit