Social justice and sustainable development are two terms that have come to define the longstanding concerns of achieving sustainability, justice, and equity in communities worldwide. Anthropological study allows for the opportunity to examine development at the global level and understand how cultural knowledge and the complexities of everyday life illuminate these critical issues. In a world that is heavily impacted by financial disparity, economic crisis, and war, the importance of studying global social justice and sustainable development is vital to reach solutions that will shape a better future for the next generation. UC Online is excited to promote “Cultures of Sustainability and Social Justice,” a fully remote course taught through UC Santa Cruz that explores the imaginative and critical work of communities to achieve justice and equity. Through a coherent and thought provoking overview of social practices, politics, and moral principles in sustaining communities, this course seeks to empower students to seek sustainable solutions that work towards justice and equity worldwide.

Cultures of Sustainability and Social Justice is an online course that invites students to explore strategies for addressing cultural knowledge and practices of sustainability from the community, government, science, and legal perspectives. It utilizes case studies from around the world to provide students with a realistic understanding of how social and environmental injustice is produced locally, regionally, and globally, and how social justice and sustainability are inextricably tied in these contexts. Through this, the course will ground students in the realities faced by impoverished communities and meaningfully engage them in local, regional, and cultural efforts to promote social justice and sustainability.

This course is open to all UC students and is offered in Fall 2024. For success in this class, it is highly recommended that students dedicate 12-15 hours per week to complete the assignments. Evaluation and grades will be based on the completion of online materials and quizzes, reading and film response papers, participation in a webinar, nomination proposals, and a midterm and final exam. The course contains 10 sections of learning objectives, each of which contains readings, a quiz, and a 450-550 response paper to be completed at the scheduled due date. Failure to meet weekly deadlines will negatively impact the student’s grade. There will be two real-time conversational webinars throughout the 10-week session that is meant to provide students with the opportunity for dialogue and critical reflection on the course themes. Attendance at one of the two conversations is mandatory, however, attending both is encouraged. This course also contains a nomination proposal, in which each student will devise an original proposal that allows them to showcase work that is happening at their own campus, community, and/or social movements they care about. Midterm and final examinations test knowledge that is taught all throughout the course. Please refer to the
syllabus for more information about course expectations, learning objectives, and grading.

All class assignments are designed to expand upon course materials and provide students a comprehensive understanding of the importance of sustainable development and social justice throughout communities worldwide. Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand approaches to justice and equity in terms of recognition, process, procedure, and outcome, and what tools and techniques are required to meet the needs of both the present and future generations. The next cohort of change-makers and global leaders are in this class!