SLE201 - Society and Environment
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Previously coded as: | SQA201 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Christie Lam |
| Prerequisite: | SLE103 or SLE121 |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1 hour lecture per week. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | Online independent and collaborative learning including 1 x 1 hour online lecture per week. |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
Complex environmental problems require creative, multidisciplinary approaches, and many environmental professionals argue that the management of those problems is primarily about understanding and working with people. Whatever your interest is, be it coastal planning, wildlife conservation, pollution or waste management, climate change adaptation, or simply linking sustainability with other disciplines, skills in environmental social science will be invaluable for your future career. In this unit we will explore how social science can help us understand diverse socio-economic perspectives on environmental issues; tools for stakeholder and community engagement, conflict and dispute resolution; and how to develop powerful and effective strategies for fostering sustainable behaviours.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Describe diverse environmental paradigms and world views. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Describe social research methods and develop a social research project to investigate the social dimensions of an environmental issue. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO3 | Explain the various tools available for promoting sustainable behaviours and prepare a behaviour change program. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO4 | Examine the various skills needed to effectively and ethically work with communities and stakeholders in environmental decision-making. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO7: Teamwork GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO5 | Communicate clearly, succinctly and professionally with staff and students in an online learning environment. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO7: Teamwork |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 Social research design | Written report, approximately 1,000 words | 35% | Week 4 |
| Assessment 2 Behaviour change program | Written report, approximately 1,500 words | 35% | Week 8 |
| Assessment 3 Online discussion and reflection | Two online discussions | 10% | Weeks 6 and 9 |
| Assessment 4 Online test | 80-minute online test | 20% | Week 11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for SLE201 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.