Course Description

The course introduces students to the grand challenges of today’s world (for example climate change, loss of biodiversity, the crossing of planetary boundaries) and the necessity for action to save the conditions for human life on this planet. Students will explore how societies can respond to these interconnected crises through systemic change, collective action and innovative practices to push transformations toward a sustainable development of our communities.

Since the 1990s, a great many projects, policies and regulations that seek to advance sustainable development have been introduced and tried in many communities, organizations and countries. For instance, local and national Sustainable Development Strategies, circular economies, urban agriculture, ecovillages, co-housing, renewable energy projects. Nevertheless, the major trends and policies in most societies are still not sustainable and remain destructive in nature, despite symbolic actions and many declarations.

Students will analyze the specific power structures, behavioral and cultural barriers that impede transformative change, such as unlimited economic growth, over-consumption, environmental pollution, CO2-emissions, exploitation of people and resources, accelerated cultural changes and overwhelmed people. These aspects will be analyzed by strengthening our understanding of the systemic characters and the complex dynamics in today’s societies, including the individual, organizational, community, regional, national and international levels and their relations and interactions.

We will investigate which social actors – individuals, groups, organisations – contribute to a transformation towards a better and sustainable way of life. We will learn to understand how this happens, which inertias and obstacles stand in the way and how these could be overcome. What has the German government done, what is the German parliament doing, what is the function of business, the sciences or civil society organizations – what happens in Berlin? How do these activities function in other countries? We want to consider the broadest possible spectrum of approaches, strategies and actors for a reflected change and transformation. Of course, we will consider and reflect different national, regional and cultural systems and backgrounds for all this. Interesting examples will be described, shown and visited on field trips. Depending on students’ interests and motivations, we will relate some of our seminar’s aspects and questions to very relevant theories, i.e. social systems theory, practice theory and the concept of “real utopias”. These will give basic insights into societal factors for stability as well as for change.

A new concept for our seminar comes from climate research, investigating specific patterns in complex processes and changes, and is being used for guiding paths for transformation: positive tipping points. It seems to be an interesting tool which enables us to understand and even create tipping points, i.e. situations and actions which accelerate and support changes faster than before. This concept has recently been used to analyze ways to accelerate a transformation towards sustainable development. It is currently being tested and further developed.

The course will in the end enable students to understand societal developments, its mainly short-minded actions and unintended consequences, and on the other hand also intended developments, labelled “Transformations”, often based on evidence-based decision-making and smart collective activities.

Download Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule) 

Recommended Course Combinations (Selection)

• Global Challenges - Sustainable Futures
• Law, Society and Politics in Comparative Perspective
• Entrepreneurial Leadership in Berlin and Europe