Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit provides participants with an introduction to the central precepts, principles, and purposes of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home. Structured around a critical assessment of both frameworks, participants are invited to assess how the social, cultural, political, and legal aspects of the SDGs are addressed, advanced, or challenged by the moral charter of Laudato Si’ in shaping contemporary concepts of global development. It also invites students to consider how the Laudato Si' goals and SDG's challenge the Church to reflect on its own commitments and practices.
Stimulated by the historical, cultural, and religious landscape of Rome, and through dialogue with policy makers and practitioners, participants will navigate the relationship between ecological and social change, through the lens of concepts such as equity, power, and economic justice. The unit provides participants with critical perspectives into contemporary environmental and socio-economic issues along with an intellectual and ethical platform for restorative action at local, national, and international level.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Acquire knowledge both of the sustainable developm...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse key theoretical aims and practical approac...
Learning Outcome 02
Apply knowledge and praxis of the SDGs and Laudato...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- Catholic social, economic and ecological thought: background and history
- Philosophical and theological frameworks: post-colonialism, feminism, socio-economic justice, ecological sustainability and
- distinguishing among eco-centric, anthropocentric, and theocentric perspectives;
- Understanding the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Laudato Si’ Goals:
- Spiritual conversion (LSG 6)
- Food and water security (SDGs 2, 6; LSG 1)
- Public Health (SDGs 3)
- Economic development and distributive wealth justice; Responding to the cry of the poor, challenging detrimental impacts of globalisation and unjust economic structures and building community resilience and empowerment (SDGs 1, 7-12; LSG 2, 7)
- Gender equality and education (SDGs 4-5; LSG 5)
- Peace and security (SDGs 16)
- Ecological sustainability (SDGs 13-15; LSG 1,3-6)
- Taking action:
- Laudato Si’ Action Platform
- Taking action on the UN’s SDGs
- Acting at local, national, and global levels
- Case studies relating to project initiatives focused on areas such as water, climate, biodiversity, economic justice and education.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Just as the learning outcomes progress from acquiring knowledge, through assimilating knowledge, and finally to applying knowledge, the assessment tasks reflect the same order of knowledge development: (1) acquisition (for tasks assessing recall), (2) assimilation (for tasks assessing understanding), and (3) application (for tasks assessing higher order cognitive skills).
Assessment Task 1 is an in-class quiz that is held early in the unit. It examines the acquisition of knowledge about Laudato Si’ and its goals, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in the context of the history of Catholic Social thought. What crises do they portray? What responses do they recommend? Are Laudato Si’ and the SDGs different? Why might this be the case?
Assessment Task 2 is an oral presentation that can take the form of a short in-class presentation and discussion (e.g., in pairs) or a structured debate featuring pairs of students. It will require students to match an ecological case or theme (e.g., water, climate) to theoretical (e.g., post-colonial, feminist) critiques and imperatives. In doing so, students are required to build on the knowledge examined in the preceding task, and to do so in a dialogical mode, in conversation with peers.
Assessment Task 3 is a written analytic piece which requires students to synthesise their learnings in the context of a practical proposal that looks to address a specific theme addressed by both the UN SDGs and the Laudato Si’ goals.
Overview of assessments
1. In-Class Quiz Requires students to identify s...
1. In-Class Quiz
Requires students to identify salient similarities and differences between Laudato Si’ and the SDGs
20%
2. Oral Requires students to classify a particu...
2. Oral
Requires students to classify a particular ecological case or theme according to select theoretical and practical approaches
30%
3. Written piece Requires students to analyse an...
3. Written piece
Requires students to analyse an existing UN SDG or Laudato Si’ Action Plan project in terms of the ways in which it addresses specific UN SDGs and the Laudato Si’ goals.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
During the course of this unit, students will read, analyse and discuss key documents relating to the United Nations and Vatican initiatives, and will explore action plans to address identified needs. Within the distinctive historical and spatial setting of Rome, they will meet with experts engaged directly in the work of responding to key areas of need.
The unit takes a developmental approach, starting with some key distinctions, background concepts and historical contexts for Catholic thought in this area, before moving into the detail of the UN and Vatican priorities (noting areas of substantial overlap and distinctness), before then focusing on practical action plans. The relationship between the Church and the UN's SDGs are explored including potential contributions it might make and where the Church can be helpfully challenged to change.
Given the intensive format of learning, spaces will be left for students to read and reflect individually, in order that classroom interactions and discussions are based on informed consideration of key documents.
During the practical action phase of the unit, there will be substantial emphasis on case studies from past and ongoing projects relating to a range of priority areas, as well as on current planning.
The contribution of local experts working in the field of economic development, environment and health services will also play a prominent role in the unit, lending a practical and experientially enriching element, while also providing students with powerful examples of leadership in action.
The setting of the unit in Rome will also be a unique feature of the students’ learning experience. Students will receive a presentation on integral ecology at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and will also visit to the Vatican Museum. They will visit the Aqueduct Park to complement the case study on water. They will visit the Arch of Titus (a classic representation of imperial triumph) in connection with the discussions concerning the impacts of colonialism.