BOKU100496 Gender, diversity and societal transformation

Type
course with continuous assessment
Semester hours
4
Lecturer (assistant)
Knoll, Bente , Ritter-Wurnig, Matthäa
Organisation
Teaching and Learning Services
Offered in
Sommersemester 2026
Languages of instruction
Deutsch
Content

The course introduces core concepts of gender, diversity and social transformation in the context of the climate crisis and sustainability (e.g., intersectionality, feminist theories, legal foundations) and discusses current challenges (e.g., climate justice, coloniality). A special focus lies on application in BOKU disciplines and on practice/empowerment approaches; using examples from students’ own study programmes, the course analyses nature and culture constructions and their impact on decisions.
Previous knowledge expected

• Open to all bachelor programmes (recommended from the 2nd semester).
• No subject specific prerequisites.
• Expected: critical reflection, willingness to engage with societal questions, and active participation in discussions and group work.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• explain core concepts (from legal foundations to currently debated terms) of gender, diversity and social transformation.
• analyse links between the climate crisis, social justice and power structures, and judge their effects on perception and decision making.
• reflect on and justify their own positioning, privileges and scope for action.
• formulate diversity sensitive strategies (e.g., in communication), get to know them through practice examples, and apply them in study or work related contexts.
• evaluate power relations and institutional inclusion/exclusion in BOKU disciplinary contexts, derive improvement measures, and design socially sustainable, diversity sensitive project ideas in interdisciplinary teams.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.