6 EC
Semester 1, period 2, 3
5512DEGR6Y
The idea of degrowth appeared in the academic literature in the 1970s and some of its principles have been part of philosophical debates for centuries. More recently, it has appeared as a rapidly rising academic and activist movement. The movement proposes a deliberate and just downscaling of overproduction and overconsumption to increase human well-being and regenerate ecological conditions on the planet. In this course, students explore the scientific foundations and practical relevance of this challenging idea.
Readings to prepare for the lectures and the assignments will be shared via Canvas.
Lectures contribute to objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4. Seminars contribute to objectives 2, 3 and 4. Self-study contributes to objectives 3 and 4.
|
Activity |
Hours |
|
|
Lectures (10x2h) |
20 |
|
|
Seminars (6x2h) |
12 |
|
|
Self study and assignments |
136 |
|
|
Total |
168 |
(6 EC x 28 uur) |
Additional requirements for this course:
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade | |
|
20% Quizzes | Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory |
|
35% Essay, part 1 | Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory |
|
45% Essay, final | Must be ≥ 5.5, final grade |
|
Perusall readings | Must be ≥ pass, Mandatory |
| Learning goal: | Readings | Quizzes | Essay |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1. | x | ||
| #2. | x | x | |
| #3. | x | x | |
| #4. | x |
| Passed component in... | ...last year | ...2+ years before |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance requirements | Stays valid, as long as student contacts the co-coordinator Andro Rilović (a.rilovic@uva.nl) before the start of classes. | No longer valid. |
| Collaborative Readings | Stays valid, as long as student contacts the co-coordinator Andro Rilović (a.rilovic@uva.nl) before the start of classes. | No longer valid. |
| Take-home Quizzes | Stays valid, as long as student contacts the co-coordinator Andro Rilović (a.rilovic@uva.nl) before the start of classes. | No longer valid. |
| Essay | No longer valid (new assignment) | No longer valid. |
Written feedback will be provided within 15 working days after exam or submission. It will include general comments pertaining to the assessment criteria. We will offer a possibility for inspection after the third quiz.
COLLABORATIVE READINGS
This assignment is intended to help you better understand the two compulsory weekly materials, and get more out of your classes (see deadlines on Canvas). You will be annotating articles and book chapters with others in your class. The help you will get and provide to your classmates will make it a collaborative process. The idea is that while you read, you will simultaneously receive answers to your questions, help others resolve their questions (which also helps you in the learning process), and advise the instructor how to use class time most productively.
This assignment uses the Perusall tool through Canvas, which allows you to start a new annotation thread by highlighting text, asking a question, or posting a comment. You can also add a reply or comment on an existing thread. You should aim to stimulate discussion by posting good questions or comments and to help others by answering their questions. To help you connect with classmates, you can “mention” a classmate in a post to have them notified by email (they will also see a notification immediately if online), and you will also be notified when your classmates respond to your questions. The assessment criteria can be found on Canvas.
INDIVIDUAL TAKE-HOME QUIZZES
Your individual engagement with the lectures will be examined through three "open-book" 20-minutes take-home quizzes spread out over the semester. Each quiz deals with the content of the lectures that preceded the quiz. You can start the quiz at any time between 09:00 and 17:00 on the quiz date (see deadlines on canvas), but you must complete the quiz in one go (i.e., you cannot stop halfway and continue later). Attendance and attention during the lectures, as well as your own lecture notes, should be enough to prepare for these quizzes. The quiz questions will be closed (multiple choice, matching or categorising types of questions). Your grade will be provided within 15 working days after the quiz. The resits will take place late January or early February (to be confirmed).
GROUP ESSAY
You will write a group essay on your vision for a degrowth social transformation. You will describe the transformation that (you believe) needs to take place in order to successfully address the problems we will have discussed in the first part of the course. You will then zoom in on one particular area of transformation (e.g. food, housing, security, etc.), and on concrete proposal(s) within this area (e.g. regenerative agriculture, co-housing, defunding the military, etc.).
The essay assignment consists of two parts. In part 1, you should provide a background (what are the problems? why is social transformation needed?). In part 2, you will also describe and analyse the concrete proposal(s) (why are the proposals necessary to tackle the problems? how do they fit in the broader transformation), find cases that describe the area/proposals in question, reflect on their effectiveness, and explore how it might rely on or support other degrowth areas of transformation and proposals. The three seminars in block 3 will support and facilitate this group work through various activities and exercises.
Part 1 will be submitted at the end of block 2, for which you will receive extensive formative feedback. The final assignment should then integrate feedback on part 1, and form a coherent whole with part 2. The final assignment will be submitted at the end of block 3, for which you will receive summative feedback.
Part 1 should be between 1000 and 1500 words. The final assignment (composed of part 1 and part 2) should be between 3000 and 4000 words, no more no less, excluding references. The format for the assignment is an essay. If you are unfamiliar with the writing of an essay, you will find useful tips here and here. A soft copy (.doc or .docx) should be handed in through Canvas (see deadlines on Canvas).
Written feedback will be provided within 15 working days after each submission. It will include general comments pertaining to the assessment criteria. It will also include a breakdown of the grade based on the assessment criteria, which can be found on Canvas. This grade is not compensable (5.5 or lower means a fail). The deadline for the resit will be 10 days after publishing the grades/feedback of the first attempt.
This course adheres to the general rules on ‘Fraud and Plagiarism` as set by the UvA. Students are expected to have familiarized themselves with these rules.
The terms Fraud or Plagiarism are to be interpreted as the copying of the work of peer-student and/or the copying of (scientific) sources of information, without explicitly referring to its source.
Fraud/plagiarism is forbidden and actively checked by staff. When one is suspected of having committed fraud/plagiarism, the exam committee of beta-gamma and future planet studies will be informed. The highest punishment for fraud/plagiarism involves the student to be disallowed to partake of any exams or examination activities within the future planet studies programme, for the duration of a whole academic year, or may even face dismissal from the programme. More information about Fraud and Plagiarism can be found at: www.uva.nl/plagiaat
See Canvas: Weekly overview (2024-25) file, under Module "OVERVIEW AND MATERIALS".
Teaching and Examination Regulations
The IIS elective and honours courses are covered by the examination board and the OER of the Bachelor Beta-gamma. Teaching and Examination Regulations (OER) are published annually and lay down all the rules and guidelines regarding assessment and examination which the IIS pursues. The OER can be found via https://student.uva.nl/en/topics/teaching-and-examination-regulations-and-other-regulations. Students and contractors who follow courses at the IIS can draw appeal to the Board of Appeals Board (COBEX).
Social safety and Evaluation Committee
The Evaluation Committee for Elective Education ensures the quality of electives and is committed to providing a safe learning environment. The committee, consisting of students and teachers, meets at least four times a year to provide requested and unsolicited advice on all educational matters related to IIS Elective Education. It utilizes course evaluations and actively seeks contact with students enrolled in IIS Elective Education.
The Evaluation Committee is very interested in comments, suggestions, recommendations, and other insights regarding the content, implementation, and offerings of IIS Elective Education. Students can contact them at evaluatiekeuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl.
If you experience undesirable behavior or unsafe situations, you can contact the study advisor of your educational program, one of UvA's confidential advisors, the Evaluation Committee, or the coordinators of the IIS Electives Program (via keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl). More information and contact details of confidential advisors can be found at: https://student.uva.nl/en/topics/help-with-undesirable-behaviour
| Course Name (#EC) | N | |
| Strengths: The structure of the course was very clear and logical. The various degrowth perspectives work well to provide a broad interdisciplinary perspective on degrowth. Guest lecturers add valuable content to the course. | Notes for improvement: Students would like more time to work on the essay. The grading algorithm of the perusal assignments was unclear and not entirely appropriate for this course. | |
Response lecturer:
|
||