Climate crisis and its psychological aspects 1600-SZD-SPEC-WKK-PS
This is a specialization course with delivered in a hybrid format. The online component (12 hours) is self-paced and takes place on the Campus platform. It consists of readings, assignments, quizzes, and discussions. The workshop component (4 x 1.5 hours) takes place in a classroom at the Department of Psychology and focuses on psychological aspects and social discourses. When confronting contemporary issues such as climate change and the related ecological crisis, possessing a solid foundation of reliable scientific knowledge is a valuable resource for everyone. Reliable scientific knowledge can provide a sense of agency and protect against misinformation. The classes enable students to acquire basic knowledge about global warming, its mechanisms, and its consequences for the world, living organisms, humans, and society. They are interdisciplinary in nature. They consist of four modules: a physics module, which provides knowledge about the climate system, the rules governing it, and the changes currently taking place within it; a natural sciences module, which provides knowledge about the relationships between climate and the natural environment; an economic and social block, which presents climate change and environmental destruction as a tragedy of the commons and highlights processes dependent on society and the economy; and a psychological block, which explores the role of individuals, discourses, and emotions in responding to the climate crisis and identifies opportunities for action in the face of this crisis. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Course coordinators
Type of course
Learning outcomes
Knowledge | The graduate knows and understands:
WG_01 - to the extent necessary for existing paradigms to be revised - a worldwide body of work, covering theoretical foundations as well as general and selected specific issues - relevant to a particular discipline
within the social sciences
WG_02 - the main development trends in the disciplines of the social sciences in which the education is provided
WG_03 - scientific research methodology in the field of the social sciences
WK_01 - fundamental dilemmas of modern civilisation from the perspective of the social sciences
Skills | The graduate is able to:
UK_05 - speaking a foreign language at B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages using the professional terminology specific to the discipline within the social sciences, to the extent enabling participation in an international scientific and professional environment
Social competences | The graduate is ready to
KO_01 - fulfilling the social obligations of researchers and creators
KO_02 - fulfilling social obligations and taking actions in the public interest, in particular in initiating actions in the public interest
KO_03 - think and acting in an entrepreneurial manner
And others: Apply the above to issues related to the climate and environmental crisis. Knowledge (the student knows): has a basic understanding of the physical foundations of anthropogenic global warming, the mechanisms governing climate and climate change, feedback loops in the climate system, and the role of humans in these processes. Possesses basic knowledge of the mechanisms and linkages between climate change and the natural environment, as well as the environmental dimension of the current crisis. Possesses basic knowledge of the social and economic determinants of the contemporary climate and environmental crisis. Possesses basic knowledge of the psychological, cognitive, and emotional determinants of attitudes and actions regarding climate change. Skills (the student is able to): Distinguish, at a basic level, between scientific knowledge and misinformation. Critically evaluate sources of knowledge and actively seek information. Draw conclusions based on collected data and analysis. Social competencies (the student is able to): understand people’s emotions, attitudes, and actions related to climate change, at both micro and macro scales, and analyze the social determinants of the climate and environmental crisis. Seek opportunities for individual and societal action in response to the climate crisis.
Assessment criteria
Description of requirements related to participation in classes, including the permitted number of explained absences: 1 of 4 workshops can be missed
Principles for passing the classes and the subject (including resit session): At least 60% of the assignments and quizzes in the course must be completed. Active participation in the workshops is required, including completing small assignments or reviewing the required reading. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Methods for the verification of learning outcomes: active participation in workshops, online assignments, and quizzes
Evaluation criteria: course for credit
Bibliography
Budziszewska, M., Kardaś, A, Bohdanowicz, Z. (2021) Climate Change, Geting the Basic Right. {Klimatyczne ABC. Interdyscyplinarne podstawy współczesnej wiedzy o zmianie klimatu.} Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. Lamb, W. F., Mattioli, G., Levi, S., Roberts, J. T., Capstick, S., Creutzig, F., ... & Steinberger, J. K. (2020). Discourses of climate delay. Global Sustainability, 3, e17.