230137 UE M5 Sustainable Consumption (2025W)

Content:
The concept of sustainability has become a key buzzword, and not just in political discourse. In many areas of society, sustainability aspects play a central role in the implementation and justification of various activities. On the one hand sociology, like other disciplines, have the task of theoretically examining the stringency, scope, and limitations of the concept of sustainability. On the other hand, they can contribute empirical research that can be used to distinguish between sustainable and unsustainable activities and to propose ways of enforcing sustainable consumption patterns. Praxeological, feminist, and posthumanist approaches can make important contributions here because they focus their analysis not only on humans as physical beings, but also on other living beings and materialities. Empirical studies that take into account key aspects such as income, social class or background, and age provide nuanced insights into the realities of unsustainable and sustainable consumption. Empirical studies on phenomena such as minimalist lifestyles or sustainable eating practices provide exemplary insights into social problem areas of consumption and possible solutions. Society-related analyses, concepts such as work and care, and utopian designs provide additional insights into social realities and possible futures.
Goals:
In line with these considerations, the seminar focuses on critically examining the discourse on sustainability, developing analytical criteria for sustainable consumption practices based on a series of empirical studies in various social contexts and fields, and critically reflecting on the underlying theoretical assumptions. In addition, the course introduces central lines of research on sustainable consumption, addresses current debates, and discusses possible links to other sociological discourses. In addition to addressing theoretical approaches and concepts as well as field-specific aspects, the course also focuses explicitly on the research methods and techniques used in each case, thus preparing students to conduct their own independent research.
Method:
The seminar will be organized with the help of short contributions (in the form of written summaries or mind maps of the basic literature), joint discussions, group work on specific aspects and presentations of their results, and finally a written paper. Communication within the course will take place via Moodle. The language of instruction is German.