SUM4502 – INCLUDE - Socially Inclusive Energy Transition
Course content
This course addresses a critical question: How can we transition to a low-carbon society in a socially inclusive way?
Given the urgency of combatting climate change, there is a risk that measures to reduce emissions will ignore social and distributional aspects. To pre-empt this risk, this course highlights the concept of energy justice. This means paying attention to distributional aspects and questions of who are recognized as stakeholders and become participants in the transition process. We address energy in various forms and as exploited by various technologies: stationary energy (e.g. heating of houses), transport/mobility, and embodied energy (e.g. as measured through life cycle analysis and consumption based carbon accounting). The course is focused on socially inclusive solutions, particularly the role municipalities can play to reach socially inclusive energy transition through co-creation of solutions with researchers.
The aim of the course is to prepare the students for understanding these phenomena from an interdisciplinary, social science perspective, and reflect on implications for policy and practice. The course is anchored in a newly established centre for environmentally friendly energy, Include, led by the Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo.
Learning outcome
- Gain theoretical knowledge on socially inclusive energy transition, energy justice and co-creation of knowledge
- Understand how theories and concepts on socially inclusive energy transition can be applied in empirical studies on stationary energy transition, mobility, consumption, public planning and innovation
- Obtain insights into the merits of applying multiple social sciences, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity (researchers and practitioners) in this field of knowledge
- Interpret and critically engage in debates on how we can transition to a low-carbon society in a socially inclusive way
Admission to the course
You may apply to be a guest student at SUM. Please follow these instructions.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
A bachelor’s degree.
Recommended previous knowledge
Specialization equivalent to at least 80 ECTS within subjects from the humanities or social sciences, sustainable development, or equivalent relevant subjects.
Teaching
The module will be organised as an digital, intensive, one-week course so as to enhance participation of students from other institutions and countries in addition to UiO-students.
During the first four days there will be lectures in addition to seminars and discussions. The final lecture will take place on the last day and offer a summary of the course. Students will also be asked to reflect and share ideas for a topic for their home exam. Personal attendance during lectures is compulsory (students with less than 80% attendance rate will not be able to hand in their exam assignment). The lectures will be held by senior researchers of the INCLUDE team.
Students must themselves report absence from compulsory activities.
Examination
3 days home exam.
We recommend that students familiarize themselves with the assessment guide for previous exams:
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.