WS25/26

Learning outcome

This module will enable students to:

• distinguish diverse scientific approaches of environmental governance, with their theories and methodologies;
• independently apply political approaches to diverse, partly new and emerging problems of environmental governance;
• discuss different governance and inter-disciplinary approaches and theories to understand sustainability transformations; and
• develop and evaluate own strategies and plans for action.

Student acquire the knowledge to examine environmental governance from a gender perspective.
In this module, students gain expertise (40%), method skills (40%) and system skills (10%) and social skills (10%).

Content

The module explores major topics and concepts of environmental governance. The focus is on governance and policy theories and their empirical application to different environmental policy fields. We begin with the discussion of core questions of environmental governance within a multi-level context. Against this backdrop, we learn about actors, institutions and instruments of environmental governance. We systematically examine the role of democratic decision-making as well as the growing relevance of non-state actors. With different case studies of environmental politics and problems the module enables students to critically analyze "wicked problems" of environmental politics.

Furthermore, the module engages with theories and concepts of change and transformation toward sustainability. Starting from institutional and policy change, the course broadens to include alternative perspectives such as socio-technical transitions.