Global problems in the contemporary world

Brief course description This course examines the multidimensional nature of the contemporary polycrisis - interconnected global challenges that reinforce one another - through environmental, economic, political and cultural perspectives. Key issues include climate change, social inequalities, democratic backsliding, the crisis of the welfare state, resource depletion, and geopolitical instability. The course explores how these crises interact, exacerbating global insecurity, social fragmentation, and undermining the belief in progress. The course encourages engagement with various approaches to systemic change, in search for the solutions that might prove effective in confronting the root causes of the global crisis.

Full course description This course examines the multidimensional nature of the contemporary polycrisis—a convergence of interconnected global challenges that compound and reinforce one another—through environmental, economic, political, and cultural perspectives. While economic growth has historically brought unprecedented improvements in material well-being, it has also driven a dramatic increase in material and energy throughput, destabilizing Earth’s natural systems on a planetary scale. As the ecological crisis deepens, the interdependence of social, economic, and environmental systems becomes increasingly evident—raising urgent questions about sustainability, justice, and the future of human civilization.

The course begins with an exploration of sustainable development and its promises, including a critical review of frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and green economic transitions. We then examine critiques from degrowth, post-capitalist, and political ecology perspectives, grappling with the question of whether meaningful transformation is still possible, and what are the possible pathways.

Students will analyze a range of pressing global issues, including climate change, democratic backsliding, social and economic inequality, migration, geopolitical instability, and the crisis of the welfare state. Environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss and habitat destruction will also be addressed. Special attention will be given to emerging paradigms of social-ecological transformation, such as degrowth, doughnut economics, environmental justice, ecomodernism, and political initiatives like the Green New Deal.

To enrich this exploration, three invited lectures will provide expert insights into specific manifestations of the global crisis shaping today’s socio-ecological nexus:

(1) The drivers and impacts of large-scale land acquisitions in developing countries, including their environmental, economic, and political consequences;

(2) The role of migrants and refugees in shaping modern, resilient cities, with a focus on inclusive urban policy and city-making amid migration challenges;

(3) The social context of everyday mobility, examining the “mobility turn” in social sciences, biographical mobility research, and the implications of mobility patterns for sustainable urban transport policy.

Through readings, lectures, and discussion-based classes, students will engage in critical dialogue about the roots of global crises and explore potential systemic alternatives.

As part of the coursework, students will develop a research-based project on a global issue, integrating environmental, social, economic, and political dimensions. The indicated readings for each week must be read prior to class in order to achieve the intended learning outcomes.

Bibliography A tentative list of readings (to be adjusted throughout the class):

• Aronoff, K., Battistoni, A., Cohen, D. A., & Riofrancos, T. (2019). A planet to win: Why we need a Green New Deal. Verso Books.

• Asafu-Adjaye, J., Blomqvist, L., Brand, S., Brook, B. W., DeFries, R., Ellis, E., ... & Nordhaus, T. (2015). An ecomodernist manifesto.

• Brand, U., & Wissen, M. (2021). The imperial mode of living: Everyday life and the ecological crisis of capitalism. Verso.

• D’Alisa, G., Demaria, F., & Kallis, G. (Eds.). (2014). Degrowth: A vocabulary for a new era. Routledge.

• Escobar, A. (2011). Encountering development: The making and unmaking of the Third World. Princeton University Press.

• Gómez-Baggethun, E., & Naredo, J. M. (2015). In search of lost time: The rise and fall of limits to growth in international sustainability policy. Sustainability Science, 10(3), 385–395.

• Fitzpatrick, N., Parrique, T., & Cosme, I. (2022). Exploring degrowth policy proposals: A systematic mapping with thematic synthesis. Journal of Cleaner Production, Article 132764.

• Kothari, A., Salleh, A., Escobar, A., Demaria, F., & Acosta, A. (Eds.). (2019). Pluriverse: A post-development dictionary. Tulika Books.

• Martínez-Alier, J., & Muradian, R. (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of ecological economics. Edward Elgar Publishing.

• Parrique, T., Barth, J., Briens, F., Kerschner, C., Kraus-Polk, A., Kuokkanen, A., & Spangenberg, J. H. (2019). Decoupling debunked: Evidence and arguments against green growth as a sole strategy for sustainability. European Environmental Bureau.

• Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut economics: Seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.

• Redclift, M. (2005). Sustainable development (1987–2005): An oxymoron comes of age. Sustainable Development, 13(4), 212–227.

• Robbins, P. (2019). Political ecology: A critical introduction. John Wiley & Sons.

• Schmelzer, M., Vetter, A., & Vansintjan, A. (2022). The future is degrowth: A guide to a world beyond capitalism. Verso Books.

• Wright, E. O. (2010). Envisioning real utopias. Verso.

• Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. PublicAffairs.

Learning outcomes 1. Knowledge

Upon completion the student:

• (S_W01) understands in depth the key theories, debates, and conceptual frameworks related to global crises and their interconnections (e.g. climate change, inequality, ecological collapse);

• (S_W02) knows major interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability, including sustainable development, degrowth, and political ecology;

• (S_W05) understands how knowledge from both natural and social sciences contributes to analyzing and responding to systemic crises, and critically reflects on the political and ethical dimensions of transformation processes.

2. Skills

Upon completion the student has the ability to:

• (S_U01) critically analyse data relevant to global environmental and socio-economic challenges, including data limitations and context-specificity;

• (S_U02) apply interdisciplinary sustainability frameworks to assess complex issues such as resource depletion or socio-ecological inequality;

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• (S_U03) identify and compare real-world cases and policy approaches (e.g. Green New Deal, SDGs), and evaluate their effectiveness in addressing global problems;

• (S_U04) select and justify appropriate analytical methods to investigate systemic interlinkages between political, economic, social and ecological domains, and formulate well-grounded conclusions;

• (K_U09) fluently use English in both academic writing and oral presentations, including specialist terminology related to global sustainability

3. Social Competences

Upon completion the student is ready to:

• (S_K01) critically engage with different perspectives on global problems, acknowledge the complexity of transformation debates, and reflect on ethical responsibility in research;

• (S_K02) communicate global problems and potential solutions in a clear, inclusive, and respectful manner, tailored to both expert and non-specialist audiences;

The assessment criteria include: (a) activity during the conversation class and (b) final assignment (essay or research mini-project)

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