HUMN 7040 Social Ecology

This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://hbook.westernsydney.edu.au.

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 102152

Coordinator David Wright Opens in new window

Description This unit focuses on learning in the context of social-ecological understanding. It asserts that ecological sustainability is a consequence of the understanding and enactment of social-ecological relationships. In this regard 'social ecology' describes a field of understanding while 'sustainability' describes praxis in a social-ecological context. Both experience and the understanding of experience - learning- are subject matter. This study is undertaken through reference to ecological systems of understandings in the context of challenges to that understanding. It is grounded in reference to learning, change, creativity, culture, politics and the physical environment. The unit introduces key theorists and invites students to examine their personal relationship to social-ecological learning.

School Education

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

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Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject

Equivalent Subjects HUMN 7039 - Researching Social Ecology

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in a postgraduate program, with the exception of those students enrolled in the Bachelor of Research Studies.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  1. Understand social ecology as a contested term through insight into the history of its use (and thereby possible future uses) in the field of sustainable social practice.
  2. Communicate understanding of the systemic base of ecological relationships.
  3. Evaluate transformative learning theory for its relevance to individual and social sustainability.
  4. Design a project that demonstrates a capacity to work with learning, in and through personal, social and environmental relationships, and design a sustainable response to an issue of learning.
  5. Create insight into the relationship between personal experience and learning through ecological understanding.
  6. Evaluate ecological understanding and transformative learning theory as socio-cultural phenomena, through reference to real world experience

Subject Content

1. Social ecology, sustainability and the ecological discourse
2. Systemic perspectives and the perspective of the participant
3. Social ecology, sustainability and ecological science
4. Learning in relation to Indigenous ways of knowing, place and ?ethe local?f
5. Learning through imaginative and creative ways of understanding and communicating
6. ?eMindfulness?f in relation to ecological understanding
7. Social ecology, sustainability, social action and patterns and perceptions of change

Assessment

The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.

Item Length Percent Threshold Individual/Group Task
Literature review 1500 words 40 N Individual
Essay 3500 words 60 N Individual

Prescribed Texts

  • Wright, D. & Hill, S.B. (eds) (2020) Social Ecology and Education: Transforming worldviews and practices. Routledge

Teaching Periods