“Consumption, Sustainability and Social Change”, University of Oslo (offered since: 2005)

• Lecturers: Harold Wilhite and Arve Hansen
• Program: Masters program, Development, Environment and Cultural Change
• Duration: 6 weeks, 10 credits
• Class size: 20-25
• Approach: Theories of consumption with an emphasis on social practice theory and its applications. Addresses importance of consumption in everyday life across cultures, related to environmental impacts, as well as values, attitudes and social structures. Cases are used to illustrate how consumption relates to routines as well as notions of the ‘good life’. The module takes up theoretical debates concerning social change and relates these to how change is theorized in public policy on sustainability.
• Student evaluation: 5 days take home exam
• Course evaluation: Generally very positive evaluations