Overview

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This MOOC is an introduction to social and ecological transition. Ecological issues (climate change, loss in biodiversity, scarcity of resources, etc.) and their social consequences (growing inequalities, poverty, conflicts, forced migrations, etc.) call upon us to promote a paradigm shift, to redesign our production and consumption patterns, as well as our lifestyles. This is what transition is all about. In this MOOC, you will encounter some of the changes needed for transition at different levels: worldviews (political), systems (the economy, management...) and lifestyles (at personal and community levels). Following the MOOC will help change your way of thinking or living, as well as to transform the structures of society. You will learn about possible existing solutions, and also see that new solutions need to be invented. This MOOC will also highlight the importance of working with others. Anyone can follow the course, without prerequisites. If you already have some knowledge of the topic, it will allow you to discover a number of approaches to transition and strengthen your understanding of both challenges and ideas for change. This MOOC was developed by the European University For Transition Erasmus + project. The European University for Transition (EU4TRANSITION) Erasmus + project developed innovative learning and research practices (e.g. new curricula, teaching methods, institutional network) to accompany the transition in the education field. It developed multidisciplinary, pragmatic and holistic approaches for teaching and learning in the field of « Transitions » and facilitate the exchanges, flows and co-creation of knowledge and, more specifically, skills. Partners were: ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITEIT VOOR HUMANISTIEK, UNIVERSIDAD PONTIFICIA COMILLAS, ARTERRA BIZIMODU, YASAR UNIVERSITESI, MTÜ EESTI ÖKOKOGUKONDADE ÜHENDUS and CAMPUS DE LA TRANSITION. More information at: https://eu-4-transition.essec.edu/home This project has received funding from Erasmus Plus under grant agreement N°2020-1-FR01-KA203-080465. Disclaimer: the European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Syllabus

An Introduction to Social and Ecological Transition

Welcome to this MOOC on transition! The MOOC was designed as follows: 1) A first module to address challenges at the level of worldviews: a worldview is apolitical vision of the future. 2) A second module to address the social implications of transitions in diverse fieldssuch as the economy, business, accounting, etc… 3) A third module to address the practical implications of transitions in our daily lives: wecalled this module “Tools for Transition”. Of course, all aspects of ecological and social transition will not be covered in this MOOC: we have selected some topics to illustrate the three levels mentioned above. This will not say everything about transition, but the MOOC will illustrate these three levels. Before starting, let us make a statement of principle: transition calls for philosophical andpolitical debates, leaving space for different sensitivities and priorities. This MOOC was built by a group of partners from diverse institutions: universities and eco-villages. In this MOOC, each contributor will speak in his own name. Even if all the contributors agree on the seriousness and urgency of the ecological situation, and the need to change unsustainable lifestyles, they may differ concerning the means to be taken to achieve it. This MOOC will help you raise your awareness of this diversity; it will help you understand the debates atstake and, ultimately, develop your ability to build your own personal critical thinking. We wish you all the best for this journey into the social and ecological transition!

New Worldviews related to transition

Welcome to the first module called “New Worldviews Related to Transition”. We will show how important worldviews are in shaping the way we build the future.

Social Implications of transitions

Welcome to this module on the social implications of transition. By “social” we mean the structures of society, which can be described either as “fields” such as the economy,management, law and public policy, or as organizations such as private companies, public administrations or regulatory bodies. In this module, we will focus on the fields of management and the economy, as well as on private companies.

Tools for Transition

After a module on the political level of worldviews, and a module on the structural level of the social implications of transition, we will now move to the level of daily life at the level of individuals and groups. We called this module “Tools for Transition”.