Description
In an age of extreme globalization, the human race is facing challenges in poverty, health, education and increasing signs of environment deterioration across the planet. The United Nations Development Program warned in its Human Development Report 2007/2008 that the current economic model, following the footsteps of rich industrialised nations in growth and consumption, is ecologically unsustainable. As the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs acknowledge the need for a universal action plan with equal responsibilities amongst all nations, yet the field of sustainable development is still immature and requires further critical examination.
The underlying theory behind different approaches of economic development and sustainability is introduced in this module to enable students to critically understand the consequences of carrying on with the current developmental practices of the ‘business as usual (BAU)’ model on the future of the planet. The module will also provide the necessary skills for understanding current debates and events in the fields of ecology, economic development and sustainability.
Aims
The aim of this module is to give students the critical skill and knowledge in sustainable development.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Enable students to define and evaluate critically the concept of sustainable development and the key issues and debates relating to this.
- Develop a critical understanding of the intellectual an ideological interpretation of sustainable development, ethical principles and objectives of the Shari'ah, and how these frames sustainable development in different contexts.
- Enable students to evaluate critically the enabling/constraining factors and approaches employed in sustainable development.
Indicative Content
1 Economic development
Economic Development in Historical Context; Theories of Economic Development Classical Theories of Economic Development Neo-Classical (Critical) Theories of Development: The Democratic Infusion: Social Inclusion, Education and Health. Non-Western Theories of Development: East-Asia, India, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia.
2 Religion and Development
Religion and Development: Christianity and Judaism. Islamic Models of Development Maqasid al-Shariah Approach to Sustainable Development The Islamic (Moral/Spiritual) Approach to Sustainable Development
| Teaching and Learning Method | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 20 |
| Tutorial/Seminar | |
| Supervised Practical Activity | |
| Unsupervised Practical Activity | |
| Assessment | 50 |
| Independent | 130 |
Guidance Notes
SCQF Level - The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.
Credit Value – The total value of SCQF credits for the module. 20 credits are the equivalent of 10 ECTS credits. A full-time student should normally register for 60 SCQF credits per semester.
Disclaimer
We make every effort to ensure that the information on our website is accurate but it is possible that some changes may occur prior to the academic year of entry. The modules listed in this catalogue are offered subject to availability during academic year 2025/6, and may be subject to change for future years.