Social Sustainability in Civil Society, 13 credits

Main field of study with advanced study

The courses Introduction to Sociological Theory 15 credits, Scientific Methods 15 credits, Social Sustainability - a Theoretical Introduction 15 credits, Social Sustainability in Public Practice 15 credits and 15 credits from the courses Sociological Theory 15 hp and Scientific Method and Thesis in Sociology 15 hp. Exemption of the requirement in Swedish is granted. English 6.

The course is included in the Program for Social Change and Social Sustainability, 180 credits, and is also given as a single subject course.

The overall course objective is that the student develops sociological knowledge about the social, and the impact of societal changes, associated with the state, market and technological development, on civil society. In the course the student develops knowledge about how voluntary organizations and social movements in the civil society contribute to a socially sustainable development within different areas of society. The course objective is also that the student develops deeper sociological knowledge about public sociology as a contemporary way of reflecting over sociological research, and how conduct it with relevance for social sustainability. The objective is, furthermore, that the student develops knowledge about critical and practical sociological approaches like action research, implying that the investigator in collaboration with concerned groups and individuals investigate obstacles and possibilities for social sustainability within different fields.

Following successful completion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• describe the rise of public sociology as a sociological approach and explain what characterizes it as a way of conducting reflexive sociological research with relevance for a socially sustainable civil society
• explain how the work with social sustainability is conducted by social movements and voluntary organizations and can contribute to a socially sustainable civil society
• describe how action research in collaboration with concerned organizations can be used to formulate problems, mapping, developing change strategies and evaluation within the field social sustainability in the civil society

Skills and ability

• use knowledge about public sociology and civil society in order to understand the possibilities to work with social sustainability within the field.
• use knowledge about the development of cities and rural areas in order to interpret how current processes of change affect the possibilities for a socially sustainable civil society.
• planning investigations based on principles of action research, with relation to problem areas that are relevant for a socially sustainable civil society

Judgement and approach

• critically reflect on the changing conditions of civil society in cities and rural areas, as well as the obstacles and possibilities for practical work with social sustainability

The course addresses how public sociology makes it possible to critically and reflexively understand central questions in sociological research, which concerns knowledge production, societal changes and social sustainability in the civil society. The course also addresses how attempts to strengthen social sustainability in different areas in society is realized in different arenas within the organizations of civil society. The focus is on gender, ethnicity, inclusion and exclusion in public and private spaces, as well as different processes in contemporary society that create obstacles or possibilities for a socially sustainable civil society. The course also addresses questions concerning democracy, public space and citizenship, as well as the importance of conflicts and social movements for social changes.

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars, group exercises and supervision. The teaching is conducted in english.

The examination consists of an individual written examination, written and oral group assignments and seminars.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions from the specified examination format and allow a student to be examined in another way. Special reasons can e.g. be study support for students with disabilities.

Course evaluation is part of the course. This evaluation offers guidance in the future development and planning of the course. Course evaluation is documented and made available to the students.