The purpose of this course is to link global ecological and developmental challenges to Community and Youth Work, with a particular focus on the Irish context. It will explore what Sustainable Development is, how and why it emerged and why it is relevant to Community and Youth Work. A particular emphasis is placed on how the concepts of of equality, participation, social cohesion and environmental awareness have been linked globally and in Ireland. The course highlights the environmental crisis presents both challenges and opportunities for the Community and Youth sectors in Ireland.
The Meaning of Sustainable Development
Context of ecological and developmental crises; global poverty/inequality; climate change; environmental degradation; fossil fuel depletion; population overshoot; biodiversity loss; The Three Pillar Model and other conceptions of SD
The Social Pillar of Sustainable Development and its relation
The meaning of the ‘social pillar’; Social sustainablity; The environment and Community and Youth work in Ireland; Equality/Equity and the environment; Participation and the environment; Social Cohesion and the environment; Environmental awarness and the Environment (including a focus on Ireland)
The SD Policy Context: Global, European and Irish
Key UN SD policy strategies; Key EU Sustainable Development policy strategies; Key Irish SD policy strategies
Theoretical Perspectives
Ecological Modernisation and the Social Pillar; Risk Society and the Social Pillar; Green Socialist Perspectives
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 30 |
| Formal Examination | 70 |