Sustainable Consumption, Emory University, since 2016
- Lecturer name: Alice Reznickova
- Dates: offered since Fall 2016/ongoing
- Length and format: elective 16 weeks, 2 x 75 minutes
- Associated credits and evaluation: 3 credits (1 credit hour = 3 hours of work); participation assignments & projects
- Towards what degree: Bachelor, Sustainability minor cross-listed with Interdisciplinary Studies and Sociology
- Student profile: Interdisciplinary Studies/Sociology (but a mix of other majors)
- Class size: Was taught as both a small seminar as well as larger class. Approximately 40 students.
- Background on teacher(s): One professor, interdisciplinary background (Environmental Studies)
- Learning outcomes:
- Understand how government policies & producer/consumer choices affect environmental, economic and social sustainability
- Be able to find information about products/services and assess their sustainability
- Make links between our political, social, and economic context throughout history and our consumption choices
- Research different issues related to sustainable consumption locally (on campus, in Atlanta), nationally and globally
- Understand different sides of sustainability dilemmas
- Design solutions for a more sustainable future
- Syllabus: Download
- Reading materials: See Syllabus
- Assignments: Students complete two types of assignments:
- Participation (helps them prepare for class): short (300-500 words) reflections on readings or on assigned exercises that provide context to the material
- 3×5 presentation: 3 minute, 5 powerpoint slides presentation analysing sustainability news
- Two debates on the future of consumer society… (one is on green economy vs. de-growth, one is on future societies)
- Mid-term/final papers on topics of choice
- Group project – designing a solution for sustainable future
- Innovative approaches:
- Debates, guest speakers, applied research project (students have to outline step by step how they would achieve what they are proposing)
- Innovation (both by adding the newest material to the class as well as encouraging students to research current news via the short presentation)
- Connection to local communities
- Student feedback: Overall, very positive evaluations – students outlined how their thinking about sustainability has expanded, that they understand sustainable dilemmas (and how solutions to them rest on our underlying values), enjoyed all assignments overall. A survey was conducted among students after class, which found that they reported an expanded understanding of sustainability & associated actions, and subsequently try to behave more sustainably & communicate about sustainability with others, and want to incorporate sustainability into their careers.
