The human dimension of the environment, 7.5 Credits

Contents

The course aims to provide basic and advanced knowledge about how humans affect their environment through behaviors and choices of everyday life, with possible climate change as a consequence, and how the environment affects humans perceptually, cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally. The course provides knowledge about factors that are crucial for reducing the negative impact on the environment and climate as well as how natural and healthy environments can contribute to good health and chance for recovery. The course deals with the environment’s effect on behavior and welfare, and motives and barriers for environmentally friendly behavior and behavioral change. The course covers a number of aspects relating to environmental psychology, for example: risk perception, the environment's ability to provide recovery, social dilemmas, attitude factors and habits/routines significance for behavioral choices and behavioral change, models for understanding environmentally relevant behavior. Both theory and applications are key ingredients in the course to provide a platform for further studies as well as practical use.

Expected learning outcomes

After the course the student will: 

• be able to describe basic theories about the relationship between humankind and the environment.
• be able to critically examine research concerning the interaction between man and the environment
• show ability to apply knowledge from research in the field to contribute to the solution of the societal challenge of sustainability.
• be able to conduct and present, both orally and in writing, a scientific literature review.

Required Knowledge

Form of instruction

The course consists of lectures, seminars and tutorials.

Examination modes

The examination include individual oral presentations at four seminars, two written individual assignments, oral and written presentation of the scientific literature study in a group and one individual written exam. Absence at a seminar should be supplemented by a written assignment. Incidence of compulsory education is specified in the schedule. To pass the entire course all compulsory parts must have been passed. The grade is an integrated judgement of the results from all examination parts, and is given when all parts have been passed. 

A student who does not fully meet the objectives of an examination but is close to the limit for a passing grade may, at the discretion of the examiner, be given the opportunity to supplement in order to achieve the examination criteria for a pass grade. Completion of the examination should be individualized based on the objectives that have not been achieved by the student and must take place within two weeks after the students announced the examination results but before the next examination. It is only allowed to supplement a non-successful completion, approval, completion of a higher grade is not allowed.

The student should always be able to complete an examination on a total of at least five occasions. A student who has failed two tests for a course or part of a course, has the right to have another examiner appointed, unless there are specific reasons against it (HF chapter 6. § 22). Requests for a new examiners should be directed to the Board of basic education at the Department of Psychology. Students have the right to be tried on the same curriculum as the regular examination at least two occasions up to two years after the first registration. Exceptions from this rule, for example, may be when the course has undergone fundamental scientific change.

Credit transfer
Students have the right to request that previous studies, or equivalent knowledge and skills acquired in a professional, work-related capacity, be validated and transferred into credits on an equivalent course or programme at Umeå University.  Applications for credit transfer should be addressed to Student Services/Degree Evaluation Office. More information can be found at the Umeå University student web site (www.student.umu.se/english)  and in Chapter 6 of the Higher Education Ordinance.  Appeals may be made to the Higher Education Appeals Board (ÖNH) against a decision by the university not to approve an application for credit transfer (Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 12), even in cases where only a part of the application has been rejected.