Systems Thinking for Sustainable Solutions

Catalog description

The problems facing our world are complex and multi-dimensional. This course introduces students to the basics of systems thinking and the socio-ecological systems framework, a marriage of both social and natural science approaches to understanding problems. Using this framework, we will dive into complex natural systems, such as tropical marine fisheries and probe the sustainability of coffee to understand driving factors that inhibit (or enable) successful resource management. These factors may include the culture and history of resource users alongside the relevant ecosystem interactions. Students should expect to conduct their own research through the application of learned research methods on systems of their interest.