Socio-Ecological Change, Policy, and Innovation

Aalborg University, Denmark

Aalborg University, Denmark

General Description

It is widely recognised that human-induced climate change, long-term sustainable development and social and environmental justice represents some of the most pressing and multifaceted societal challenges which requires decisive and resolute actions, and rests on a multitude of factors, stakeholders, and actors. Tackling the aforementioned issues is central to achieving the green transition of societies around the world and addressing the 2030 Agenda. The aim of this elective is to understand the processes of socio-ecological change and to explore how state and non-state actors are responding to these challenges and shaping the green transition in the global North and South. These topics can be formulated within three interdependent themes that each or in combination form the overall focus of the ESST thesis.

Elective Structure

To support the individual thesis work, ESST students will follow the draft thesis module. The draft thesis acts as input for a thesis which can be submitted at the ESST students home university. As part of the draft thesis module, the students will be introduced to the three themes (policy, rights, and innovation) through tutorials so they can make an informed choice about the specific focus of their thesis. The tutorials will serve as a means of (1) providing students with knowledge of selected topics and current issues within the specialisation; (2) enabling students to consider relevant theoretical perspectives and discuss key elements in relation to empirical cases and reflect on these on a scientific basis and (3) preparing students for the writing the thesis by enabling them to define and delimit a potential topic and problem field within one theme of the specialisation.

To support students in the time management of their thesis project Aalborg University organises an infrastructure that provides meetings and deliverables. Students define a problem relevant to one of the themes of the elective. The university provides academic supervision. Students must discuss various theories and select one or several, which they deem to be relevant. Unless it is a purely theory-based project, students must discuss which type of empirical data might be relevant in this context and organise the data collection. The topic of the project must be formulated as a problem, and students must seek to answer this problem. The answer must be based on theoretical reflection and – unless it is a purely theory-based project – be empirically grounded.

Download the full elective information (PDF)

Theme 1: Ecological Change, Ecocide, and Environmental Policy

The first theme focuses on the problems and dilemmas related to environmental sustainability, the emergence of environmentalism as a political force, and policy responses to addressing environmental challenges. From a political ecology perspective, this theme discusses the relationships and dynamics between political, economic, and social factors that are central to environmental issues from a range of spatial scales.

Theme 2: Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Rights

The second theme considers the relationship between environment and society by examining the environmental injustice of climate change and its impact on human and environmental rights. Through an environmental justice lens, this theme focuses on climate policy and the power dynamics associated with climate change, the role of knowledge of climate change and its drivers, the inequalities, and injustices of climate change, as well as environmental and climate justice movements.

Theme 3: Innovation and the Green Transition

The third theme discusses changes to the social, economic, and political landscape to enable the green transition towards a sustainable society and the changing ways society views and values the environment. This theme looks at different innovative ‘green’ solutions and policy instruments for green growth and innovation as countries embark on the green transition.

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Maximum Number of Students

Potential Thesis Topics

Securitisation of energy in the European Union
The cost-of-living crisis and climate change
Attitudes to nuclear power and environmental values
The ecocide-genocide nexus
Environmental justice and renewable energy
Gender and climate change: an analysis of climate policy
Decolonialisation and natural resource governance in Latin America
Socio-environmental conflicts and extractivism
The green transition

Staff Involved in the Elective

Malayna Raftopoulos, Troels Fage Hedegaard and Mads Peter Klint, Department of Politics and Society, Aalborg University.

Accommodation

As an international student, you can apply for a furnished room or apartment in Aalborg after receiving a letter of admission. Apply through the International Office: accommodation information.

Contact Person

Malayna Raftopoulos
Aalborg University, Department of Politics and Society
Fibigerstraede 3, DK-9220 Aalborg O, Denmark
Email: raftopoulos@dps.aau.dk