Decisions, Power, and Controversies in Sustainable Development

COURSE OBJECTIVE
The aim of the course is to provide a conceptual framework for understanding and evaluating organizational and societal decision making processes (DMP), and to discuss a set of central concepts in the field, which can help us understand environmental and related DMP. The course is useful for conducting research and consultancy work with the objective to evaluate, and/or improve policymaking (in an organization, national policy or international policy).

COURSE CONTENT
The course is structured as a guided self-study course, which means that students read the texts on their own. Questions with model answers will be provided for each text and by using these, students can check whether they have properly understood the texts or not. There will be an introductory class where the teacher will explain key concepts in decision-making. Also, students have the possibility to attend 2 elective follow up class discussions that will be held only in case students have questions about the course material.

The reading material for the course draws on: decision sciences, sociology, evolutionary economics, group psychology, policy sciences, among other disciplines. It is an eclectic collection of texts on individual, group, and societal decision making processes, with, where possible, concrete application to environmental issues. The multidisciplinary perspective reflects the different disciplines that decision sciences draw upon. Issues that are discussed and applied are: frames, values, diversity, power, feedback, learning, groupthink, polarization, stakeholders, trust, legitimation, bounded rationality.

TEACHING METHODS
Group assignments (30%) (obligatory; minimum grade a 6) and written exam (70%) (obligatory; minimum 6)