Messages:
 

Course Information:

Meeting Place:  216 Jobe Hall

Meeting Times:  Tuesdays, 6:00–9:00 pm

Instructor Information:

Instructor: Dr. Alan Barton

Office: 37 Ward Hall

Telephone: (662) 846-4097

E-mail: abarton@deltastate.edu

Webpage:  http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/abarton/

Office Hours:
 

The instructor holds regular office hours at the following times:

    Monday 9:00-10:00 am; 11:00–12:00 am

    Tuesday 3:00–4:00 pm; 5:00-6:00 pm
    Wednesday 9:00-10:00 am; 11:00–12:00 am
    Thursday 3:00–5:00 pm
    Friday 9:00-10:00 am; 11:00–12:00 am
 

If you cannot make one of these times, contact the professor to set up an appointment.
 

Course Webpage:

Additional materials and updated course information can be found on the course webpage:

http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/abarton/SOC421Fa06/SOC521Syllabus.htm

Course Overview:

This course provides a practical, policy-oriented review of the concept of sustainable development.  While the concept of sustainability has a long history in resource management, the notion that development must be sustainable rose to international prominence in the 1980s, received substantial attention and interest in the 1990s, and continues to shape international policy today.  We will study the evolution of the concept of sustainable development, focusing on three conferences sponsored by the United Nations in 1972, 1992 and 2002.  We will consider the products of these conferences critically and practically to assess the viability of the concept of sustainable development in the local, national and international arenas.

This is the core course in the Sustainable Development track for Community Development M.S. students.  It is a concentration course for undergraduate students majoring in sociology or social sciences, and is an elective for undergraduate and graduate students studying social science education.

Prerequisites:  SOC 101 or permission of instructor.

Readings:

The Course Outline below lists the reading assignments for each class meeting; you should do the assigned reading BEFORE the class meeting for which it is assigned.

Click here for tips on studying the readings for this course.

Required Books:

The required books are available at the DSU Bookstore.  You should purchase both books or otherwise arrange to complete the reading assignments from these books.

Rachel Carson. 2002. Silent Spring. 40th Anniversary Edition. Mariner Books, Boston.  ISBN: 0-61-824906-0.

Samuel P. Hays. 2000. A History of Environmental Politics Since 1945. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA.  ISBN: 0-8229-5747-7.

Eric Holt-Gimenez. 2006. Campesino a Campesino: Voices from Latin America's Farmer-to-Farmer Movement for Sustainable Agriculture. Food First Books, Oakland, CA.  ISBN: 0-93-502827-7.

World Commission on Environment and Development. 1987. Our Common Future. Oxford University Press, New York.  ISBN: 0-19-282080-X.

In addition to the above books, you should select one of the following books to carry out the Group Project.  Each group member should purchase one of these books from ESRI Press, so that the group as a whole has all four available:

Charles L. Convis, Jr. 2001. Conservation Geography: Case Studies in GIS, Computer Mapping and Activism. ESRI Press.  ISBN: 1-58948-024-4.

Kim Zanelli English and Laura S. Feaster. 2003. Community Geography: GIS in Action. ESRI Press.  ISBN: 1-58948-023-6.

Orton Family Foundation. 2003. Making Community Connections. ESRI Press.  ISBN: 1-58948-071-6.

Robert Scally. 2006. GIS for Environmental Management. ESRI Press.  ISBN: 1-58948-142-9.

ESRI Press is at http://gis.esri.com/esripress/display/index.cfm.

Recommended Books:

The following book is recommended for those who will be using GIS this semester.  It is available through ESRI Press.

Wilpen L. Gorr and Kristen S. Kurland. 2005. GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9. ESRI Press.  ISBN: 1-58948-127-5.
 

Articles and Reports:

All articles are available from the Full Text Electronic Journals on the DSU Library website, unless otherwise indicated.

Group Project 2:
 

John Campbell. 2002. A critical appraisal of participatory methods in development research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 19-29.

David H. Finifter, Christine J. Jensen, Carol E. Wilson and Bryan L. Koenig. 2005. A comprehensive, multitiered, targeted community needs assessment model: Methodology, dissemination, and implementation. Family & Community Health Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 293-306.

Group Project 4:

Michael Wing and Bo Shelby. 1999. Using GIS to Integrate Information on Forest Recreation. Journal of Forestry Vol. 97, No. 1, pp. 12-16.  [Handout]

Group Project 5:

Danelle T. Lobdell, Suzanne Gilboa, Pauline Mendola and Bradford W. Hesse. 2005. Use of Focus Groups for the Environmental Health Researcher. Journal of Environmental Health Vol. 67, No. 9, pp. 36-42.

Group Project 6:

Barbara DiCicco-Bloom and Benjamin F. Crabtree. 2006. The Qualitative Research Interview. Medical Education Vol. 40, pp. 314-321.  [Handout]

Policy Discussion 2:
 

IUCN/UNEP/WWF. 1980. World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development. Prepared by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), with advice, cooperation and financial assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  [Handout]

Other Readings:

Jeffrey D. Sachs & Walter V. Reid. 2006. Investments Toward Sustainable Development. Science Vol. 312, Issue 5,776, p. 1002.  [Handout]

Webpages:

Policy Discussion 1:

UNEP I. Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972).  Read the "Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the  Human Environment" and scan the other documents.

http://www.unep.org/Documents.multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=97&ArticleID=

UNEP II. Earthwatch 1972-1992.  Read the brief history of Earthwatch, the U.N. program to implement the 1972 Declaration.
http://earthwatch.unep.net/about/docs/annrpt92.htm

Policy Discussion 3:

UNCED I. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro 1992).  Read the summary of the Earth Summit (4 web pages; hit right arrow at bottom of each page to continue).

http://www.un.org/geninfo/bp/enviro.html

Policy Discussion 4:
 

UNCED II. Agenda 21. Read the Rio Agreements (see link), and read about the subject area you are assigned in class.
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm

Policy Discussion 5:

UNWSSD I. World Summit on Sustainable Development. Review the documents under "Starters" at the right.
http://www.worldsummit2002.org/

UNWSSD II. Look over the United Nations Environment Programme's WSSD website.
http://www.unep.org/wssd/

Group Project 3:
 

USFWS. Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge. Browse this page and links to learn about our local wildlife refuge.

http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=43635

Group Project 5:

DSU IRB. Institutional Review Board Policy and Procedures. Review the policies and procedures on the website, and read the Criteria for Informed Consent and Assent in the appendix linked at the bottom of the page.
http://www.deltastate.edu/pages/2515.asp

ASA. Code of Ethics. Review the Code of Ethics of the American Sociological Association.
http://www.asanet.org/page.ww?section=Ethics&name=Ethics

Teaching on Research Readings:

The readings for the Teaching on Research sessions can be found on the Full Text Electronic Journals section of the DSU Library website, unless otherwise indicated.

Teaching on Research 1:
 

Bill Hopwood, Mary Mellor and Geoff O'Brien. 2005. Sustainable Development: Mapping Different Approaches. Sustainable Development Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 38-52.

Thomas M. Parris and Robert W. Kates. 2003. Characterizing and Measuring Sustainable Development. Annual Review of Environment and Resources Vol. 28, pp. 559-586.

Teaching on Research 2:

Peter Dale. 1997. Land Tenure Issues in Economic Development. Urban Studies Vol. 34, No. 10, pp. 1621-1633.

Eirivelthon Lima, Frank Merry, Daniel Nepstad, Gregory Amacher, Claudia Azevedo-Ramos, Paul Lefebvre and Felipe Resque, Jr. 2006. Searching for Sustainability: Forest Policies, Smallholders and the Trans-Amazon Highway. Environment Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 26-38.

Teaching on Research 3:

Robert H. Nelson. 1996. The Future of the National Forests. Society Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 92-98.

Daniel Pauly, Villy Christensen, Sylvie Guenette, Tony J. Pitcher, U. Rashid Sumails, Carl J. Walters, R. Watson and Dirk Zeller. 2002. Towards Sustainability in World Fisheries. Nature Vol. 418, Issue 6,898, pp. 689-695.

Teaching on Research 4:

Kent E. Portney. 2002. Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously: A Comparative Analysis of Twenty-Four U.S. Cities. Local Environment Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 363-380.

D. McEvoy, D.C. Gibbs and J.W.S. Longhurst. 2000. Assessing the Employment Implications of a Sustainable Energy System: A Methodological Overview. Geographical and Environmental Modelling Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 189-201.

Teaching on Research 5:

Michael Bonnett. 1999. Education for Sustainable Development: A Coherent Philosophy for Environmental Education? Cambridge Journal of Education Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 313-324.

Rosalyn McKeown and Charles Hopkins. 2003. EE≠ESD: Defusing the worry. Environmental Education Research Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 117-128.

Martin Haigh. 2005. Greening the University Curriculum: Appraising an International Movement. Journal of Geography in Higher Education Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 31-48.
 

Teaching on Research 6:

Amy K. Glasmeier and Tracy Farrigan. 2005. Understanding Community Forestry: A Qualitative Meta-Study of the Concept, The Process and Its Potential for Poverty Alleviation in the United States Case. The Geographical Journal Vol. 171, No. 1, pp. 56-69.

Marina Michaelidou, Daniel J. Decker and James P. Lassoie. 2002. The Interdependence of Ecosystem and Community Viability: A Theoretical Framework to Guide Research and Application. Society and Natural Resources Vol. 15, No. 7, pp. 599-616.

Anthony Young. 2005. Poverty, Hunger and Population Policy: Linking Cairo with Johannesburg. The Geographical Journal Vol. 171, No. 1, pp. 83-95.

Recommended Readings:

Gregory Brown. 2005. Mapping Spatial Attributes in Survey Research for Natural Resource Management: Methods and Applications. Society and Natural Resources Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 17-39.

Matthew David. 2002. Problems of Participation: The Limits of Action Research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 11-17.

Steve Davidson. 2005. Transforming Thinking: The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). Ecos Issue 123, pp. 10-12.

Rebekah Doyle and Marianne Krasny. 2003. Participatory Rural Appraisal as an Approach to Environmental Education in Urban Community Gardens. Environmental Education Research Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 91-115.

Lisa K. Harris, Randy H. Gimblett and William W. Shaw. 1995. Multiple Use Management: Using a GIS Model to Understand Conflicts Between Recreationists and Sensitive Wildlife. Society and Natural Resources Vol. 8, No. 6, pp. 559-572. [See instructor for a copy]

Barbara A. Israel, Amy J. Schulz, Lorena Estrada-Martinez, Shannon N. Zenk, Edna Viruell-Fuentes, Antonia M. Villarruel and Carmen Stokes. 2006. Engaging Urban Residents in Assessing Neighborhood Environments and their Implications for Health. Journal of Urban Health Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 523-539. [See instructor for a copy]

David L. Katz. 2004. Representing Your Community in Community-Based Participatory Research: Differences Made and Measured. Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 1-4. [See instructor for a copy]

Gregory Knapp and Peter Herlihy. 2002. Mapping the Landscape of Identity. Pp. 251-268 in Gregory Knapp (ed.), Latin America in the Twenty-First Century: Challenges and Solutions, University of Texas Press, Austin, TX. [See instructor for a copy]

Amanda Moore McBride, Margaret S. Sherraden and Suzanne Pritzker. 2006. Civic Engagement Among Low-Income and Low-Wealth Families: In Their Words. Family Relations Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 152-162.
 

Isabella McLafferty. 2004. Focus Group Interviews as a Data Collection Strategy. Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 187-194.

Hans Opschoor. 1996. Sustainable Growth and Employment. Ecumenical Review Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 332-344.

Joy A. Palmer and Joanna C. Birch. 2003. Education for Sustainability: The Contribution and Potential of a Non-Governmental Organization. Environmental Education Research Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 447-460.

Mary Joy Pigozzi. 2003. UNESCO and the International Decade for Sustainable Development (2005-2015). CONNECT: UNESCO International Science, Technology & Environmental Education Newsletter Vol. 28, No. 1-2, pp. 1-7.

David Satterthwaite. 1997. Sustainable Cities or Cities That Contribute to Sustainable Development? Urban Studies Vol. 34, No. 10, pp. 1667-1691.

David Shaw and Sue Kidd. 1996. Planning Sustainable Development: Principles and Implementation. Journal of Planning Education and Research Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 237-241.

Naresh Singh and Jonathan Gilman. 1999. Making Livelihoods More Sustainable. International Social Science Journal Vol. 51, No. 162, pp. 539-545.

Adriana J. Umana-Taylor and Mayra Y. Bamaca. 2004. Conducting Focus Groups with Latino Populations: Lessons from the Field. Family Relations Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 261-272. [Available in the DSU Library Bound Journals]

Claudio Maria Vargas. 2000. Community Development and Micro-Enterprises: Fostering Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 11-26.

Arthur H. Westing. 1996. Core Values for Sustainable Development. Environmental Conservation Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 218-225. [See instructor for a copy]

Top

 
Course Objectives:

Once you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:

(1)  Define the concept of sustainable development from a variety of perspectives.

(2)  Explain how the idea of sustainability and development have changed through history, and how policy has evolved in line with these changing conceptions.

(3)  Discuss United Nations efforts to structure and implement sustainable development internationally and locally.
 

(4)  Apply sustainable development policy statements to current environmental and development issues, and analyze the effects of these policies.

(5)  Critically examine current trends in sustainable development, and relate these to theories of globalization.

These objectives contribute to overall course goals:

(1)  Developing critical thinking skills.  The class discussions, readings, writing assignments and exams are designed to encourage you to develop and use higher-order thinking skills, including analytical, synthetic and applied thinking.  Click here for more information on thinking critically.

(2)  Understanding the social structures and processes that condition our lives.  A basic goal of all sociology courses is to help you understand the nature and workings of these social structures, and how they open opportunities and impose constraints on individuals operating within these structures.  C. Wright Mills called this using your "sociological imagination;" activities in this course are designed to encourage you to use your sociological imagination.  Click here for more information on the sociological imagination.

Course Organization and Approach:

This course uses a participatory, learner-centered, adult education approach.  An adult education approach recognizes that you are responsible for your own learning.  The professor can only provide opportunities to learn, but cannot force you to learn.  You are expected to work hard in this course, meaning that for every hour of class time, you should spend two to three hours outside of class preparing by doing readings, assignments, studying for quizzes and exams, and thinking about the course material.

You are expected to take responsibility for the success of the course, that is, you should take an active interest not just in the course material, but in the course itself, making it a success for all participants.  Factors such as interest, motivation, creativity, and initiative are important elements in evaluating your performance and assigning a grade.

Learning Opportunities: 

All students taking the course for graduate (SOC/COD 521) credit must complete the following assignments:

(1) Attendance/Participation in Class Discussions (10 points)

• You are expected to do all of the assigned readings and attend all class sessions

• You are expected to engage in classroom discussions, reflecting on the topic and readings

• The quality of contributions to class discussions is more important than the quantity of contributions

• Participation in class discussions is not graded based on whether it is “right” or “wrong;” rather, you are expected to engage the material critically, and demonstrate an understanding and ability to apply the course material in productive ways

(2) Leading Discussion on Readings (20 points)

• You will lead class discussion on the readings one time during the semester
• The objective of each discussion is to assess the practical value of sustainable development as a strategy
• Begin by determining the social and policy importance of the assigned reading, then identify a documented current environmental issue to which you can apply the material in the reading; this may be through an article from a newspaper, news magazine, or reputable web site
• You should then facilitate a class discussion on the topic, encouraging participation by all members of the class; your responsibility is to get other students talking about the topic, mediate the contributions of other students to keep the discussion focused, and guide the discussion to ensure that the critical issues are covered

• In leading the discussion, you should prepare and give a short presentation on the week's readings, focusing on the social and policy dimensions; following this you should present the current topic, then lead the class in a discussion that illuminates the value (or lack of value) of the policy using the practical example

Additional Information:
 

• Click here for guidelines on leading a discussion

• Click here for a schedule of discussion leaders
 

(3) Group Project (50 points)

• You will work with 3 other students in class on a comprehensive participatory research project, to develop a profile and needs assessment of a local protected area and surrounding communities
• Each group will work in one community: Benoit, Pace, Rosedale and Boyle

• Each group will work in four topical areas: Community, Education, Environment and GIS
• You will turn in a paper at the end of the semester summarizing your topic and community.  These will be combined into a document that can be used by the wildlife refuge, the communities, the schools, and other interested parties

• The paper is due on Nov. 28, 2006

Additional Information:

• Click here for information on the group project
• Click here for guidelines on writing the project paper
• Click here for a list of the group members
• Click here for a copy of the IRB letter to participants
 

(4) Teaching on Research (20 points)

• You will select one of the articles listed above under Teaching on Research Readings

• You will read this article and teach the contents to the class

• In preparing the article, you will meet with an undergraduate, who will serve as discussant in the presentation; part of your responsibility is to mentor the undergraduate and assist them in understanding the article

Additional Information:

• Click here for a list of the teaching on research discussion leaders and discussants
• Click here for a list of the teaching on research articles
 

(5) Critical Engagement (±10 points)

• The instructor will evaluate your performance based on factors such as the motivation, interest, and improvement you demonstrate in the course

Grading:

There are a total of 100 points available for the semester.  Your final score is simply the sum of all points earned over the semester.  If you accumulate 90 or more points over the course of the semester, you will get an “A” in the course.  If you accumulate 80 to 89 points, you will get a “B,” for 70 to 79 points you will get a “C,” and for 60 to 69 points will get a “D.”  If you get less than 60 points, your final grade will be an “F.”  Note that you start with zero and earn points; you do not start with 100 and lose points.

If you comply with all course requirements and submit all of the assignments satisfactorily and on time, you can expect a “C” in this course.  To receive a higher grade, you must demonstrate a superior grasp of course material and an ability to apply the material in productive ways.  It is also helpful to show an interest in the course material and in learning, and an achievement-based orientation.

Policies and Expectations:

(1) YOU are responsible for learning the course material and for your progress in the course

    • You are expected to attend class regularly.  An attendance sheet will be passed around at every class session.  Make sure you sign the attendance sheet at each class meeting – this will serve as the official record of attendance, and if your name is not on the sheet, you will not receive credit for attending on that date.

    • You are expected to complete all of the assignments and know all material presented during class sessions, whether you attended the class or not.  If you miss a class session, you should check with another student to see what you missed.

    • “I didn’t know” is NEVER a valid excuse.  If you don’t know something, it is your job to find out.

(2) Missed assignments CANNOT be made up

    • It is assumed that if you miss class or an assignment, you are making a choice that prioritizes other activities above the class.  For this reason, none of the assignments or coursework can be made up.

    • Assignments are due at the time specified; no late assignments will be accepted.

    • If you miss an exam or writing assignment, you will receive a grade of zero for that assignment.  You are not required to turn a writing assignment in every week, but cannot make up assignments if you do not turn in the required number by the end of the semester.

    • If you must miss a presentation or other in-class activity, it is up to you to arrange to trade with another student before the event.  Please notify the instructor of such changes.  Points will be deducted from your grade if you simply do not show up for a presentation.

(3) Illnesses and emergencies MUST be documented

    • If you must miss a class due to illness or another personal emergency, notify the instructor BEFORE the missed class period either by e-mail or telephone.

    • If you cannot notify the instructor in advance, bring a note from a doctor or other professional to the next class meeting.

    • Illnesses and emergencies pertain only to the student, not to the student’s family, friends or others.

    • If you must miss class for an official university activity, you should make arrangements with the instructor BEFORE the missed class.  Appropriate documentation is required.

    • Notified absences (i.e. you notify the instructor before the event) count as one-half absence.  Excused absences (i.e. you bring a note from a doctor or other professional) will not count against you for the first two; after that, each excused absence counts as one-half absence.
 • Unexcused absences will be scored on a sliding scale, as shown here.

    • You are responsible for all material presented in the class, even during an excused absence.  You should get class notes from another student for all class sessions you miss.

    • It is in your interest to provide the instructor with written notification (e.g. note or e-mail) or documentation for any missed class.  It is risky to simply tell the instructor and expect him to remember.

(4) Class discussion is an important element in this course

    • The purpose of the discussion is to provide you with an opportunity to practice thinking skills in a safe environment.

    • In discussions, you are encouraged to explore ideas presented in the readings and lectures, to think about and apply concepts, and to develop arguments and evaluate evidence.

    • You must demonstrate appropriate respect the opinions and ideas of other students.  If you repeatedly show disrespect for other students, you will be asked to leave the classroom.

    • Class discussions are NOT a time to chat with other students about topics not related to the course.  Talking privately with other students while the rest of the class is trying to carry on a discussion is disruptive, bothersome, and disrespectful to other students and to the professor.  If you repeatedly talk out of turn, you will be asked to leave the classroom.

    • It is acceptable (and encouraged) to disagree with the perspectives of other students, but you should phrase this to show disagreement with the idea or opinion, not with the person presenting the idea or opinion.

    • Please make sure that all pagers, cell phones, etc. are turned off during class time.  If your phone or pager repeatedly interrupts class, you will be asked to leave the classroom.

    • Any work missed by a student that was asked to leave the classroom cannot be made up under any circumstances.

(5) You are expected to comply with all academic standards and ethics as defined in the DSU Bulletin and Handbook

    • You are expected to do their own work in this course.  Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will NOT be tolerated.

    • Click here if you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism.  The DSU Library's "Plagiarism Prevention: A Guide for Students" is also a good resource.  If it is still unclear, see the instructor.  IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND THESE GUIDELINES.  If at some point in the semester you are suspected of committing plagiarism, pleas of “I didn’t know what plagiarism was” will not be accepted.

    • The sanctions for plagiarism are outlined on the web page linked above.  Make sure you are aware of these BEFORE you submit any work in this class.

(6)  DO NOT bring cell phones or other portable communication devices to class during quizzes, exams, or in-class assignments.  If the instructor sees a cell phone or other device during a quiz, exam or in-class assignment, your work will be collected immediately and you will be asked to leave the classroom.

(7) Appropriate accommodations will be made for students with medical problems or diagnosed disabilities.  Have Dr. Richard Houston at the Reily Health Center (846-4690) contact the course instructor to make arrangements.