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Resilience Reflections and Applications

Learn about how resilience thinking-related theories and methods can be applied to social-ecological systems. Using quantitative and qualitative methods and analytic techniques gives you insights into the complexity and inter-connectedness of social-ecological systems. You will develop your own research project using multiple conceptual approaches.
People discussing and working at a round table

The course is project based, and students formulate individual research proposals. The proposed projects must fall under one of the SRC’s research themes, and should be for a 1-year study that would suit the SERSD Master’s thesis.

The first part of the course reflects on the philosophical foundations of sustainability science, and how resilience and social-ecological concepts can be applied in research, specifically in developing an independent project and formulating research questions. Students learn how to critically review projects and provide useful feedbacks to their peers. Students will learn how to plan a structured literature search. Research ethics are introduced as a recurring theme throughout the course.

Research design is further informed through instruction and workshops in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis . In the third and final part of the course, students participate in in-depth review of peers’ research projects, engage in proposal writing and present their proposals. Self-study, writing, and practical exercises intersperse in-class time.


Teaching Format

Teaching consists of lectures, self-studies and group work lead by teachers from different scientific fields. Students will work in groups to assess and discuss each other’s work. This component will provide a set of alternative approaches to addressing related questions, and will allow students to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches, to develop skills in critical analysis and providing scholarly feedback.

Learning outcomes

A list of the learning outcomes can be found in the syllabus. Please find the link to the syllabus on the right side of this page.

Assessment

Assessment will be based on proposal- writing and presentation of a research project and an ethical report.

Examiner

Ingo Fetzer
E-mail: ingo.fetzer@su.se

Jan Kuiper
E-mail: jan.kuiper@su.se

The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course.


Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course.

No mandatory course book.

Course reports are displayed for the three most recent course instances.