COURSE
OVERVIEW
In this course, we will examine innovative sustainability solutions
that are transforming the way the world works, including tools
and ideas for creating sustainable lifestyles, businesses, communities
and cultures. We will investigate the complex systems and networks
experiencing dynamic change in our environment, our economy and
our society to understand where we are now. We will explore scenario-building
strategies to imagine culture changes in future decades.
Course Objectives
Like Cabrillo College itself, this course seeks to honor the
core values of "academic freedom, critical and independent
thinking, and respect for all people and cultures." This class
provides opportunities to develop skills in all of Cabrillo's
"Core Four" competencies:
I. Communication: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
and/or Conversing
- Explain sustainability concepts to peers and be able to share
these concepts with the broader community.
- Write thought questions and reflections on readings to facilitate
peer discussion.
II. Critical Thinking and Information Competency: Analysis,
Computation, Research, Problem Solving
- Apply principles of complex systems and biological networks
to solve problems in sustainability.
III. Global Awareness: An Appreciation of Scientific Complexities,
Social Diversity and Civics, and Artistic Variety
- Use the methods and practices of anthropology to explore local
and global questions of culture change and sustainability.
- Identify trends and innovations that contribute to sustainable
culture change.
IV. Personal Responsibility and Professional Development:
Self-Management and Self-Awareness, Social and Physical Wellness,
Workplace Skills
- Work productively with peers to complete assignments.
- Ask for clarification and assistance from the instructor.
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Learning Outcomes
Students completing this course will be able to solve novel problems
related to individual lifestyle, business, community or global
issues by applying sustainability principles from diverse frameworks.
Specifically, students will explore solutions to problems of
long-term sustainability in personal, business, community and
cultural change, including:
- Known trends and areas of uncertainty around: a) climate change;
b) pollution and waste; and, c) resource limits.
- The global outlook on these issues, and their impact on individuals,
businesses, communities and societies in the future.
- Principles related to natural systems and their application
to human economic and social systems, including technological
and organizational innovation.
- Issues currently of concern for the sustainability of the
local community.
- Examples of business and community experiments in sustainability,
and lessons from them applied to the local community.
- Strategies for generating scenarios to help understand future
impacts of choices and changes.
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Learning Strategies
Class Discussion and Lectures
Preparing for and participating in class discussions are keys
to success in this class (and in most college classes). This class
will be highly interactive, meaning your level of preparation
in each class will be evident to your peers. I urge you to do
all your readings for the week and post
your topic findings before coming to class. Ask questions
in class, via email, on the course website/blog
or during office hours about anything that is unclear!
Common Courtesy and Common Sense
Students frequently discover that not everyone shares their personal
beliefs, experiences, and convictions. Respect for many points
of view is required in this class. Disagreements are healthy and
help us to learn, but students must maintain a respectful attitude
and courteous conversation at all times. My goal as an instructor
is not to convince you to hold a particular opinion on controversial
issues, but to encourage you to think critically and with an open
mind about the facts, evidence, ideas and theories presented in
class.
Classroom etiquette regarding portable electronic devices is
not unlike takeoff and landing on an airplane - they should be
turned off and stowed away. Cell phones and pagers should be OFF
at all times (an exception may be made for caretakers who can
keep their phones/pagers on vibrate for emergency situations,
provided the instructor is notified ahead of time) - "smart phones"
may be used during team work to look up information or perform
calculations, but it is not appropriate to compose/send/receive
text messages in class. You should have nothing in your ears other
than hearing aid devices if needed. You may use a recorder for
instructor lectures, as long as it is unobtrusive (though in my
experience, paying attention and taking notes during lecture is
more useful). Calculators, PDAs, and laptop computers are permitted
during lectures provided they aren't making much noise.
Other behavioral norms are expected to minimize classroom disruptions
and avoid disturbing your fellow students. Arrive on time for
class. Do not begin packing your things and preparing to leave
until the instructor has indicated class is actually finished.
Do not interrupt the instructor or your classmates while they
are speaking, but by all means DO raise your hand when you have
a question or comment. Basically, use a little common sense, try
to imagine what is likely to annoy your instructor, and then avoid
doing those things if you wish to remain in class.
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Grading
I believe that the grade a student receives should accurately
reflect their comprehension of the material and their completion
of course objectives. While I would be overjoyed if this meant
that all of you would receive "A" grades, and would be happy to
award them if you genuinely demonstrated you deserve them, I suspect
that there will be a range of grades in this course that will
reflect the efforts of each individual student. It is possible
that some students may fail, but I will have given you opportunities
to succeed if you are willing to take responsibility and put in
genuine effort. It is your responsibility as a college student
to talk with me about options or strategies for improving your
performance in the course.
Standard Policies
(I don't anticipate these being an issue, but I include them
here just in case something comes up.)
Cheating on any class work, including plagiarism, is grounds
for an immediate failing grade in the class. Plagiarism is simply
defined as presenting someone else's writing or ideas as if they
were your own. To learn about what plagiarism means and how to
avoid it, please see the description at: http://www.cabrillo.edu/~sholt/MITPlagiarism.pdf
or http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html
and review the links provided by the Cabrillo College Library
at http://libwww.cabrillo.edu/depts/libraryinstruction.html.
Course grades may be reduced by one letter grade for each four
tardies, each three early departures or major disruptions, and/or
each two absences (e.g. If you are late 5 times, are disruptive
5 times and are absent twice, you could be dropped 3 whole letter
grades).
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Assignments
- Weekly homework and class participation related to readings:
a. Complete assigned book reading (about 50 pages per week,
see blog
for reading assignments for each book).
b. Write the following responses on the reading in the third
and sixth week of class (post on blog,
25% of course grade):
1) Explain how one idea in the reading relates to other topics
already covered in class or something you learned elsewhere
(another class or life experience).
2) List what you think are the three to five most important
points made in the reading.
3) Write a question to provoke discussion among others who read
the same passage.
4) Note any important points that connect with or inform your
research topic on the research topic blog
page.
c. c. Discuss the first three with your book group, and decide
on two to five key points from your discussion to present briefly
to the entire class during the fourth week (5% of course grade).
d. Evaluate your own and your book groupmates’ contributions
to the discussion (5% of course grade).
- Select and research topics based on local issues of personal
or community sustainability; prepare and present topics in teams.
a. Find and read at least one article per week on your topic
(post link or citation with summary on blog,
15% of course grade).
b. Discuss what you found in the article and relevant findings
from your book reading with your topic team in weekly class
meetings.
c. Discuss plans for team topic presentation and sharing the
preparation work appropriately.
d. Present your topic during the last class session (April 5th,
40% of course grade).
e. Evaluate your own and your teammates' contributions to the
presentation (10% of course grade).
Note: Evaluations and presentations happen on the last
day of class – these account for over half of your grade in
this brief class. Plan to be in class on April 5th.
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Books
Every student must choose one book. Specific reading assignments
and due dates are listed on the blog.
You will be choosing
your book group during the first class meeting.
|
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest
Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One
Saw It Coming
Paul Hawken
ISBN#9780670038527
Pub: Viking, Year:
2007
|
|
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the
Way We Make Things
William McDonough & Michael Braungart
ISBN#9780865475878
Pub: North Point Pr, Year:
2002
|
|
Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities
and the Durable Future
Bill McKibben
ISBN#9780805076264
Pub: Times Books, Year:
2007
|
|
Original Instructions: Indigenous
Teachings for a Sustainable Future
Melissa Nelson (ed.)
ISBN# 1591430798
Pub: Bear & Company, Year: 2008
|
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The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating
a Caring Economics
Riane Eisler
ISBN#781576753880
Pub: Berrett-Koehler,
Year: 2007
|
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Thinking in Systems: A Primer
Donella Meadows
ISBN# 9781603580557
Pub: Chelsea Green, Year: 2008
|
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WorldChanging: A User's Guide
for the 21st Century
Alex Steffen (ed.)
ISBN#9780810930957
Pub: Abrams, Year:
2006
(You won't be required to read ALL of WorldChanging.)
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Transfer
Credit: CSU; UC with conditions: Students must retain a
copy of the course outline, the course syllabus and work
completed for this course. Credit for this course is contingent
upon a review of the course outline and other material,
by the UC transfer campus.
Spring
2010 Syllabus (PDF) Spring
2009 Syllabus (PDF) Fall
2008 Syllabus (PDF) Spring
2008 Syllabus (PDF)
Course
Outline (PDF)
Register
Now!
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"You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing
model obsolete."
--R. Buckminster
Fuller
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find
it hitched to everything else in the Universe."
--John
Muir
