Unit rationale, description and aim
The ecological crisis is one of the most pressing problems facing humanity, involving intersecting crises of climate, biodiversity, pollution, pandemics, economy and faith. This unit provides participants with an introduction to the central principles and purposes of two key global frameworks: Integral Ecology, especially as presented by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Structured around a critical assessment of these frameworks, participants are invited to assess how the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of the SDGs are addressed, advanced, or challenged by the moral charter of Laudato Si’. Participants will explore how these approaches shape contemporary concepts of global development and sustainability. They are invited to consider how the Laudato Si' goals and SDGs challenge institutions and human social systems to align values and actions, and they will investigate the relationships between ecological, political, economic, and social change through the lens of concepts such as equity, power, and justice.
The aim of the unit is to provide participants with an integral intellectual, spiritual and ethical platform for regenerative action at local, national, and international levels.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.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.
Explain how the integral ecology approach of Lauda...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse the key theoretical principles and approac...
Learning Outcome 02
Apply insights from reflection on the SDGs and Int...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics covered in this unit will normally include:
- Key concepts of Catholic Social Thought, including social, economic and ecological themes
- Philosophical and theological frameworks: post-colonialism, eco-feminism, socio-economic, ecological and epistemic justice, and integral ecology
- Distinguishing among eco-centric, anthropocentric, and theocentric perspectives
- Understanding the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Laudato Si’ Goals
- Ecological conversion and transformative methodologies (LSG 1-7)
- 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 equity and ecological education (SDGs 4-5; LSG 5 and Chapter 6)
- Peace and security (SDGs 16 and Laudato Si’ Chapter 6)
- Ecological sustainability and ecological spirituality (SDGs 13-15; LSG 1, 3-6 and Chapter 6)
- Taking action:
- Laudato Si’ Action Platform
- Taking action on the UN’s SDGs
- Acting at local, national, regional and global levels
- Case studies relating to initiatives focused on areas such as water, climate, biodiversity, oceans, economic justice and education.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve an overall minimum grade of pass (50%)
The assessment strategy has been designed to enable students to display achievement of all learning outcomes.
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 development: (1) acquisition (assessing recall), (2) assimilation (assessing understanding), and (3) application (assessing higher order cognitive skills).
Assessment Task 1 is a recall task. It enables students to display achievement of Learning Outcome 1 by examining the acquisition of knowledge about Laudato Si’ and SDGs.
Assessment Task 2 is an analytical task that requires students to match a biogeographic context to theoretical (e.g., post-colonial, post-development, eco-feminist) critiques and imperatives. Students are required to build on the knowledge examined in Task 1, to contextualise this understanding and display achievement of all three learning outcomes.
Assessment Task 3 is an application task which requires a synthesis of learnings in a practical proposal that applies insights to design an integral initiative for implementation that addresses relevant SDGs and Laudato Si’ goals. This task allows students to display achievement of all three learning outcomes.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Recall Task Requires students ...
Assessment Task 1: Recall Task
Requires students to identify salient similarities and differences between Laudato Si’ and the SDGs.
20%
Assessment Task 2: Analytical Task Requires stude...
Assessment Task 2: Analytical Task
Requires students to analyse a particular context employing at least one relevant theoretical lens to annotate a sequence of photographs that represent the chosen approach.
40%
Assessment Task 3: Application Task Requires stud...
Assessment Task 3: Application Task
Requires students to apply knowledge of specific UN SDG and the Laudato Si’ goals in an oral presentation addressing a chosen context demonstrating how to design a process that implements an integral initiative.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. The total includes formally structured learning in dialogue with places and people. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of assessment tasks.
In this unit, students will read, analyse and dialogue with key concepts relating to the United Nations and Laudato Si’ initiatives, and will explore responses to the eco-social crises.
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.
Throughout the unit, there will be opportunities to reflect on and critique paradigms, case studies and the implementation of past and ongoing projects relating to a range of priority areas, as well as exploring the implications for students’ own contributions and future planning.
The contribution of local experts working in the field of social, economic, political and ecological development in direct dialogue with students lends a practical and experientially enriching element, while also providing students with powerful examples of leadership in action.