Topic 1: Foundation 

Key concepts as foundation topics

At the heart of the ESS course is the intention to provide students with the learning needed to understand and make decisions regarding the pressing environmental issues we face. A conceptual and interdisciplinary approach is essential to problem-solving in ESS as this allows for truly holistic thinking about environmental and societal challenges faced in the 21st century. The foundation topic (topic 1) of ESS introduces and explores the following three key concepts.

Perspectives

The concept of perspectives provides a deeper understanding of worldviews, individual perspectives and their related value systems. A person’s value systems interact in complex ways with their decision-making abilities and their actions, and these can have a real-world impact. By understanding this complexity, students can consider how to make effective progress on complex sustainability issues.

Systems

Systems theory provides a useful tool for holistic analysis, and gives insight into understanding the mechanics and purpose of human-constructed systems and the function of natural ones. Systems theory uses conceptual models that provide essential analytical tools for understanding socio-ecological systems.

The models provided also allow analysis of tipping points that could lead to change, and feedback loops that could help to manage systems behaviour.

Sustainability

The concept of sustainability is central to ESS. Resource management issues are pivotal to sustainability, and students’ attention is drawn to this throughout the course. Social, cultural and political issues related to sustainability are covered in the course, for example, the value and conservation of traditional ecological knowledge.