teaching portfolio 20090723 · statement of school/departmental expectations and resources murdoch...

Teaching Portfolio 20090723

Paul M. Pulé

Ph.D. - Pending (Gender Studies & Environmental Philosophy) M.Sc. (Holistic Science)

B.Sc. (Applied Science - Ecology)

1/116 Solomon Street Fremantle, WA 6160

AUSTRALIA Home: +61 8 9335-5932

Office: +62 8 9360– 2600 Mobile: +61 4 0905 4069

Email: [email protected]

Websites: www.paulpule.com.au; www.istp.murdoch.edu.au/ISTP/students/

phdcurrent/pule_paul.html

Professional Vision:

Being a dynamic student-centred university instructor in-service to higher learning for the betterment of the planet

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Overview The planet is facing a multifaceted crisis. Biotic systems, our communities, our families and even our inner health, are collectively calling our attention to the need for ethical and practical shifts towards sustainability. To stick with convention - to educate ourselves merely for the sake of our own comforts – is in my view no longer a viable option. With climate change noticeable and in some instances severe social and environmental consequences, we are being forced to face the dread of our own blind optimism. The earth is indeed finite and the ways we educate ourselves will have considerable bearing on what we do with the circumstances that are now confronting us. My pedagogical approach to university level instruction, the curricula I write, the topics I debate with students and colleagues, how I present, assess, and refine unit information, are my contribution to resolving the dilemmas we are now facing. And we need all the help we can get in facilitating a wholehearted transformation from the current consumer model to one that might best be characterised as a gradual descent into a low-energy future. For me there is no other path forward than this, short of collapse, and no more effective way of broaching the subject and enrolling as many individuals in support for creative change than through university education. I envision a world where all life is embraced with compassion and care. And I look to my students as well as my leaders in positions of policy to help me contribute to a Great Turning. My university level teaching is then an intentional invitation for us to collectively craft a world where we show our unabated care for all living beings.

Table of Contents Overview ……………………………………………………………………………. 2 Teaching Responsibilities Subjects taught and supervised …………………………………………………... 3 Statement of Duties ………………………………………………………………. 3 Statement of School/Departmental expectations and resources…………….......... 3 Teaching that promotes effective learning

Teaching philosophy, aims and methods ……………………………………. 4 Description of teaching strategies …………………………………………... 5 Examples of teaching innovations …………………………………………... 7 Descriptions of use of technology……………………………………………. 9 Representative unit/course syllabi …………………………………………... 9 Unit/course and instructional materials …………………………………………. 9 Informal student feedback …………………………………………………… 9 Teaching awards …………………………………………………………….. 9

Use of feedback, reflection and professional development to improve teaching and learning

Description of steps taken to evaluate and improve your teaching ……….….. 9 Formal student feedback ……………………………………………………………. 11

Research or leadership in teaching and learning Publications/Conference Proceedings Record ………………………………….. 11 Invitations to teach present or publish ……………………………………... 12

Appendices ……………………………………………………………………. 13 - 53

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Teaching responsibilities Subjects taught and supervised STP 206/606 Sustainability Ethics [Murdoch University]

Course Coordinator, Assistant Course Coordinator, Sessional Lecturer & Internal/External Tutor (2005 – Present)

STP 108 Introduction to Sustainability [Murdoch University] External Tutor (2009 – Present)

FDN 150 Reinventing Australia [Murdoch University] Sessional Lecturer & Internal/External Tutor (2004 – Present)

ET-100 Introduction to Ethics [University of Notre Dame] Internal Tutor (2007)

Statement of Duties Prepare and present lectures/seminars/workshops on gender identity and nature, environmental and social justice, the ethics and philosophies that guide contemporary environmentalism, as well as the theoretical and practical aspects of sustainability. • Conduct relevant research, and create and deliver public presentations in the theoretical and practical

applications of the ethics and philosophies that guide sustainable development • Facilitate personal and professional consciousness-raising towards social and environmental

sustainability • Construct or assist in the coordination of delivered units • Facilitate tutorials on philosophical and ethical implications of the human/nature relationship • Remain current with and constructively critical of relevant academic literature • Facilitate group dynamics to inspire, enliven and empower others to think critically and creatively • Encourage students to seeks ways to actively engage with their community and environment • Provide pastoral care for students as they negotiate their way through their studies Statement of School/Departmental expectations and resources

Murdoch University’s Graduate Attributes

As a proficient university instructor, I aim to align my teaching pedagogy with Murdoch University’s Graduate Attributes, such that my students complete their studies having accumulated the a comprehensive array of intellectual, personal and professional skills. Those attributes are: ATTRIBUTE SUBATTRIBUTE Communication

The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in a range of contexts using communication, literacy, numeracy and information technology skills.

Speaking skills Listening skills Reading skills Writing skills Numeracy skills Information and communication technology skills

Critical and creative thinking

The ability to collect, analyze and evaluate information and ideas and solve problems by thinking clearly, critically and creatively.

Critical thinking Creative thinking Problem solving Research skills

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Social interaction

A capacity to relate to and collaborate with others to exchange views and ideas and to achieve desired outcomes through teamwork, negotiation and conflict resolution.

Collaboration Negotiation Conflict resolution

Independent and lifelong learning

A capacity to be a self directed learner and thinker and to study and work independently.

Organizational and time management skills Independent study

Ethics

An awareness of and sensitivity to ethics and ethical standards on interpersonal and social levels, and within a field of study and/or profession.

Personal ethics Social ethics Ethics in a field of study Professional ethics

Social justice

An acknowledgment of and respect for equality of opportunity, individual and civic responsibility, other cultures and times, and an appreciation of cultural diversity.

Social and civic responsibility Knowledge of other cultures Knowledge of other historical times Appreciation of cultural diversity

Global perspective

An awareness of and respect for the social, biological, cultural and economic interdependence of global life.

Emphasis on social and environmental justice

Interdisciplinarity

A capacity to acquire knowledge and understanding of fields of study beyond a single discipline.

Sensitivity to multiculturalism Respect for diversity

In-depth knowledge of a field of study

A comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of a field of study and defined professional skills where appropriate.

Knowledge of a field of study Professional skills

Adapted from: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/teach/studyat/attributes.html

Teaching that promotes effective learning Teaching philosophy, aims and methods I have a strong belief in placing the student’s learning at the centre of my university instruction. My teaching philosophy draws from Carlile and Jordan’s (2005) constructivist teacher. I take the ‘constructivist teacher’ to be a teacher who will flexibly and creatively combine the classroom experience into a negotiation or ‘construction’ of the lessons in situ. This style of instruction best suits small groups or individual instruction, and creates a democratic learning environment where the learning process is centered on the student, who is

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empowered as a consultant and co-facilitator of their own learning.1 O’Neill and McMahon’s (2005) student-centred instruction has also played an influential role on my pedagogical approach to university level teaching.2 As a student-centered teacher, I aim to empower the student to have considerable influence over course curricula, learning techniques, and their educational progress. This occurs through flexible lesson designs that incorporate group consultation as an integral aspect of the learning experience and end of semester evaluations that are used to hone the effectiveness of the course for future years. In my classroom, the students are held primarily responsible for their own learning. I aspire to clearly articulate their learning goals, flexible learning strategies, and maintain sensitivity to when these various techniques ought be employed. Included is an enthusiasm for developing student competence in the use of teaching aids and other resources. An important way that I achieve this goal is by employing humility to ‘get out of the lime light’ to let the student demonstrate an in-depth familiarity with the subject matter at-hand. I maintain a perspective that students have different ways of learning, as well as unique styles of sharing – variations that are worthy of my respect and patience. I have come to tertiary teaching as an advanced form of activism; the principal motivator for me to lift my head from my pillow each morning and don the teaching persona has been my enthusiasm for critical thinking – advancing my own and inspiring that in others – for the betterment of the planet. This has long seemed to me to be the hearty fodder for our creating a sustainable world imbued with flexible intelligence and justice for all. Description of teaching strategies Susan Toohey’s (1999) Beliefs, Values and Ideologies in Course Design notes that curricula design easily slips into the realm of a rote convention devoid of critical analysis.3 Tertiary curricula that do so are typical of the Western tradition. Modern Western education has after-all arisen out of the competitive, individualistic and egocentric norms of capitalism. These educational norms have claimed a central place in the perpetuation of a profit motif by steering the student towards rational and theoretical outcomes that will assure them a job, often at the expense of critical analysis. Such a pedagogy prioritises the transformation of the human individual into a worker whose principal role is be a temporary part of a mechanism of production that is fundamentally class-based. In these times of global economies and virtual realties, university level instructional design has become all too eager to mould the learner into conformity, serving as the training ground for people to vie with one another for access to limited resources through technological competence and an ability to present prescribed material as just cause for personal and professional advancement.4 This is hardly an empowering context for the developing wisdom of the individual or for their communities. I am keen to cut against this grain in my university instruction. There is a need for university instruction to rekindle the growth of wisdom. Revealing my teaching ethics, all university courses ought prioritise the development of skills in critical analysis. The tradition of giving precedent to economic-rationalist outcomes prevents students

1 Carlile, O. and Jordan, A., 2005. ‘It works in practice but will it work in theory?: The theoretical underpinnings of pedagogy’. In G. O’Neill, S. Moore, and B. McMullin (eds.), Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching. Dublin: AISHE. 2 O’Neill, G and McMahon, T., 2005. Student-Centred Learning: What does it mean for students and lecturers? In G. O’Neill, S. Moore and B. McMullin (eds.), Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching. Dublin: AISHE. 3 S. Toohey, 1999. ‘Beliefs, Values and Ideologies in Course Design’ in Designing Courses for Higher Education. Open University Press: Buckingham (p. 44). 4 Ibid., pp. 47 – 48.

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from becoming active and viable members of their learning environment, and thereby the world they move through. Toohey’s paper raises three key points that collectively purport what she refers to as a ‘cognitivist approach’ to curricula construction; firstly, that a student-centred approach to university learning encourages the development of the mind; secondly that information is integrated through an active process of student/teacher feedback; and thirdly, that cognitive development of the student reaches beyond the scope of merely raising one’s comfort level that is characteristic of an outcomes-oriented university level education by prioritising the student’s raised-consciousness.5 For John Biggs (1996), cognitive learning theory reaches into the realm of objectivism and constructivism, which are respectively taken here to suggest that policies and procedures that are dualised and based on quantitative learner outcomes compared with the view that the learner rather than the instructor ought be located at the centre of the instructional experience.6 These alternative approaches to university education suggest that the student rather than the teacher ought be placed at the centre of the university learning experience. I hold such approaches to university instruction dear. So … how do I bring these pedagogical approaches into being? My university instruction facilitates a qualitative growth in the learning experience in the form of the accrual of designated tasks that are assigned by me, and then restructured by the learner such that the learning objectives can be internalised on the student’s terms. A key way this can be achieved is to facilitate clear communication of a hierarchy of curriculum objectives through a Structure of Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO); which is supported by a commonly used 5 category register for the quality of performance: Grades A ( ≥85% )through F ( ≤ 49% ). While the grade may be an important aspect of assessment, my commentary takes centre stage; typically, a student’s assignment is complimented and constructively critiqued throughout. My teaching pedagogy views the lettered/numbered grade to be less consequential than the learning that is facilitated through a conversation between the students submitted work and my comments. My primary task is to design and implement appropriate teaching/learning activities (TLA’s) such that the learner’s ‘desired performance of understanding’ can be achieved.7 I do note however, that grades are held out as an incentive to encourage the learner to adopt these activities in pursuit of the highest scores possible throughout the semester. In essence, the student of a curriculum constructed on cognitive learning theory is empowered to build a portfolio of learning throughout the semester that is reflective of the course objectives that I have set. Rote learning is not encouraged. My primary charge is then to assess the learner’s capacities such that they as individuals are consulted. The process of clearly defining the objectives of the course up-front, grading assessments rigorously and uniformly with detailed commentary, and encouraging the learner to bridge theory with praxis by relating learned lessons to the real world opportunities, gives an overview of my teaching approach.8

5 Toohey defines ‘cognitivist learning’ as personally constructed habits of rigorous thinking cultivated through the development of the mind; habits subject to biological, cultural, sensory and tactile experiences that require flexible opportunities to expand beyond the realm of tradition (pp. 55 – 56). 6 Biggs, J. (1996) ‘Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment’ in Higher Education, Vol. 32, p. 348. 7 Ibid., p. 354. 8 Ibid., p. 360.

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Examples of teaching innovations For Peter Seldin (1997), having a record of instructional practices is an important aspect of demonstrating one’s continuous efforts to improve one’s profession as a university teacher.9 The following list features both my innovations and the ways I have made adjustments throughout my teaching career to maximise my effectiveness as an instructor:

Ice Breakers - I consider each cohort of students a learning community. Consequently, upon first meeting, I am keen to break the ice between myself, and the students as well as provide opportunities for them to get to know each other. In doing so, the student-learning environment is safer and more effective. Ice Breakers are typically trust building exercises (co-operative games) that involve a measured degree of revealing aspects of one’s self in a safe environment where people are able to get to know the student and find points of convergence from the very beginning of semester. These icebreakers are also supplemented with a Welcome Letter at the beginning of semester that is distributed to all students (see Appendix 1.).

Constructive Feed Back – I am widely renown for being a prolific commenter on my student’s papers. Rather than correct the text during the grading process, which can leave the student feeling disempowered, I give copious commentary, asking questions or referring the student on for further relevant research as needed to sources that come to mind when reading their work. The grading technique used is supplemented with a self-designed coding system to speed up the grading process and therefore make it possible for me to add further commentary. Students have found the depth of detail I

9 P. Seldin, 1997. The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical guide to improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions. Bolton: Anker Publishing Company, Inc. (p. 23).

For example: STP206/606 Sustainability Ethics harbours a strong tradition of cognitive constructivism. The unit was intentionally designed to encourage a personal shift towards a sustainability praxis that is driven by a deep green ethical awakening towards what I consider our innate tendency towards caring for society and environment. The assessments in the course reflect this goal by encouraging the student to speak from the heart and the mind concurrently through:

• Personal and professional journal writing • Facilitation of tutorials that offered synopses of key

readings • Field trips followed by interpretive reports • Personal and professional reflections shared with the

group … were placed as equal attributes to the rigors of dense academic speak submitted through essay requirements

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ascribe to their papers profoundly helpful and, unfortunately, rare (see Appendix 2 - I have only included the cover page with my comments to preserve student confidentiality and can provide sample papers as requested).

Pastoral Care – Further to constructive feedback is the need to keep my own humanness alive, and to see the humanness in my students. The rigors of university level learning can be demanding. For some students, the vagaries of life when coupled with the pressure of due dates can be overwhelming. This calls forth the need for compassion, patience, and willingness too proactively problem solve with the student. Offering myself as a listener to the student’s needs is an important aspect of Pastoral Care; one that requires a willingness to trust the student’s thinking and enable them to make constructive decisions to find the most suitable solutions to the problems they are encountering. I take it upon myself to facilitate rather than provide these solutions outright, and I do so by placing the student in the driver’s seat of their own education (see Appendix 3.). Closure – At semester’s end, my instructional cohorts have typically bonded, making the end of semester potentially heart-wrenching as much as it can be a relief. I have softened the impact of student diasporas through two strategies. Final tutorial is offered as a potluck sharing of food, beverages and ideas, including what has gone well and not so well throughout the semester I also draft a closing letter that is forwarded to all students, where I thank them for the privilege of having been their instructor throughout the semester, and share my general observations of their growth as a group (see Appendix 4.).

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Descriptions of use of technology

The use of technology to amplify instructional effectiveness has become a mainstay of university level teaching. Of particular importance is a command of Power Point software, along with developing competency in digital photography, projection and audio synchronising. The laptop as principle teaching device requires me to advance my command of such technology to assure effective use of multimedia when delivering instruction.

Representative unit/course syllabi See Appendix 5. Unit/course and instructional materials See Appendix 6. Informal student feedback See Appendix 7. Teaching awards Murdoch University Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award Nominee, 2005 Murdoch University Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award Nominee, 2009 See Appendix 8.

Use of feedback, reflection and professional development to improve teaching and learning Description of steps taken to evaluate and improve your teaching In November 2008, I reviewed the syllabus for STP206/606 Sustainability Ethics. Through that process, I made numerous corrections to the curriculum and chronology of teaching assigned to the course. Of particular relevance to STP206/606 Sustainability Ethics is the importance of gaining insights into how to best help students learn, gauge student learning progress, and to then make adjustments in the curriculum as a means for keeping the unit on an upward trend. I have had the luxury of small numbers in the unit in Semester 1 of 2008. This will change, as STP206/606 has become a core-requisite for the Sustainable Development degree at Murdoch University, meaning numbers may increase to three digits in 2009. With this change in circumstance, McInnis and Devlin’s (2002) Assessing Learning in Australian Universities has particular relevance. Posing four key responses to the rigors of university assessment in large courses, McInnis and Devlin point to clear criteria, marking guides, providing a cross-section of examples, and the articulation assessment policies as vital strategies in easing the instructor’s marking load. The two principal methods through which these strategies will be implemented are: in-group work (collective presentations and submissions) and online technologies (electronic evaluations, real time internet communications, discussion boards, chat rooms, blogs, homepages, and electronically posted

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multiple choice assessments that include comprehensive student feedback). None of these assessment strategies have been employed in STP206/606 thus far. Some specific addenda to the unit assessment profile might take the form of the following suggestions. Group work could focus on a collective community case study where a team of 2 – 5 students choose a community example of sustainable or unsustainable ethical practices to critique. The work group’s findings could be shared with the broader tutorial group in the form of a collective creative project presentation or a series of shared journal entries. Further to this, group work during lectures and tutorials in reflection of relevant readings and their related topics of discussion can engage and enrich the learning experience. From the technological end, Internet services offer considerable streamlining opportunities for conveying information and assessing its embodiment in unit participants. Keeping students connected with each other is perhaps one of the key challenges in a cybernetic world. Tertiary study is already an isolating journey. As more and more information is consolidated on-line, fewer opportunities for real time interaction with real human beings are available. Some unit tutoring is now being conducted entirely online. As people’s lives get busier and the reach of assigned tasks globalise, external student numbers, and the disparity between their geophysical locations between students in a unit are widening, making resources such as Skype, blogs, chat rooms, real-time messenger services etc … all the more important to engage. A presumption about sustaining student health and welfare is that in the absence of isolation the student is more likely to flourish. Where tactile connectively is not possible, virtual connectivity can serve an important alternative role.10 These cyber opportunities demand of the instructor a degree of technological savvy that few acquire without pointed training, making it necessary to factor into one’s professional development the ability to negotiate such time saving strategies as they come online. I have been a remote tutor for FDN150 Reinventing Australia over the last semester. While based in the United States as a visiting scholar, I have managed a 60+ external student teaching load, of which all communications have been through the Internet. While this has been reasonably smooth an experiment in cybernetic teaching and learning, there were several occasions when technological links failed, specifically through the loss of some student assignments, and the refusal of some students to submit assessments electronically. Emails are still averse to large attachments (≥ 1-2MB in size), and I have experienced a number of occasions where emails were not received. Further to this is the need to redress traditional assessment methods to make the marking load more manageable. Online assessment such as the TLC’s LITE exercise have addressed this well, and calls to my attention the need to make some further assessments in the course electronically gradable, even self-assessable as web designs permit. Such innovations point to the need for very clear and refreshed parameters for electronic teaching and learning. Assessment is a key component of tertiary education. There is no set standard for we instructors at the university level to emulate. We are very much artisans of teaching and learning, finding our own unique brand of conveying information such that a student is able to transform (beyond simply learning things). Anything short of this is to pay lip service to the notion of education while reinforcing a rote style of information processing that can effectively ‘kill-off’ critical analysis. Integrated assessment is then a principle means for the tertiary level instructor to create the optimum conditions for the student to become an actively engaged member of their chosen discipline, and might therefore also be considered a principle way to better support students becoming global citizens. 10 I make this point being fully aware that cybernetic connectivity is far less preferable to real time community building.

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Formal student feedback The Formal Course Assessment of STP206/606 Sustainability Ethics for Semester 1, 2008 had an 88% return rate. I note that the survey received the highest return rate of all courses offered by Murdoch University in Semester1 of 2008. The results indicate most students agreed or strongly agreed with the questions asked of them in regards to course quality, which rates my teaching standard to a level of excellence. Areas needing further refinement include tutorial structure where some students felt their attention was being wasted while the presenter practiced public speaking. Group presentations amongst small cohorts where individuals get to peer-review each other’s summary of required readings will be trialled to address this feedback in future years. To review the survey results, see Appendix 9.

Research or leadership in teaching and learning Publications/Conference Proceedings Record Pulé, P. M. (2008) ‘A Declaration of Caring: Towards an ecological masculinism’.

Unpublished paper presented at the University of Oregon Living Through Nature Conference, Eugene.

Pulé, P.M. (2007) ‘Ecology and Environmental Studies’ in The Routledge Encyclopaedia of Men and Masculinities, London: Routledge, pp.158-162.

Pulé, P.M. (October, 2006) ‘Towards an ecological masculinism’ in Men’s Advisory Network, Inc. – National Conference Proceedings. Perth: PROMACO Conventions, PTY, LTD.

Invitations to teach present or publish - October 2008: Invited to teach as a visiting academic at an introductory ethics course at

Villanova University in Pennsylvania, USA.

Glitches in the Technological System: An Example

Some students have shown themselves to be not sufficiently technically versed to complete the task of sending an email with an attachment and have deferred to tried and proven techniques of snail mail, faxing or scanning of paper copies of assessments to submit their work. While understandable, and were I on-campus this would be acceptable, their having done so created difficulties for me in staying abreast of all student assessment needs; some assessments have simply been lost due to the size of the attachments their emails contained. The solution employed was to refuse to accept papers in any other form than as Word documents attached to emails. Having set this parameter, the problem eased and validated the need to update the external studies assessment process to mandate electronic submissions – paper submission remaining permissible in extenuating circumstances.

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- July 2008 to February 2009: Visiting Scholar with a formal appointment as Courtesy Faculty through the University of Oregon’s Philosophy Department, USA.

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Appendix 1.

Welcome Letter

APacketofInformationforstudentsof…

FDN 150 Reinventing Australia External Students (Semester 2, 2008)

Dear FDN 150 Reinventing Australia External Students, Firstly, welcome to the unit. Let me I begin by taking this opportunity to extend my thanks in advance for the privilege of being your tutor. I’m sure to stretch and grow as much as you in the time ahead. You will find several other attachments accompanying this one. Specifically. You should find the following documents included:

A Marking Regime.

A Harvard Referencing Guide.

An Assignment Template.

A Standard Assignment Cover Sheet for External Students.

Let me know if you have any problems opening these attachments and I can get this information to you another way. Now … on to more course-specific matters ... My hope is that the semester is a stimulating amble (or for some of you periods of great ease followed by periods of intense anguish) as you negotiate your way through the weeks ahead. Please note that it is okay to struggle in the pursuit of your Learning. I am (in case you haven’t already noticed) going to be giving you enormous amounts of autonomy over your own learning. That said I am available for one-on-one consultations upon request either by email or by appointment via Skype (see: http://www.skype.com/welcomeback/) you can also try to reach me impromptu during the following office hours:

Paul’s FDN 150 Office Hours: Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:00am (Perth Time) which is Mondays 4:00 – 5:00pm (USA EST)

I hope to steer you in helpful directions throughout the semester by sending out periodic group messages like this. Please note that as an external student it is generally your responsibility to initiate contact. I encourage you to resist the temptation to isolate yourselves as this in one of the greatest challenges of being an external student, as much as it is an opportunity for your to have great latitude in leading your own learning.

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I’ll therefore be leaving it with you to initiate one-on-one contact with me unless I have a pressing concern (in which case I’ll get in touch with you). If you choose to email me, please be brief and clear about the issues you are querying and include any time constraints that apply to your request so that I can best accommodate your needs around my own schedule. Bullet-point requests are very helpful. A couple of reminders at this early stage:

Recall that your Library (LITE) Exercise is due at the end of Week 4

Start thinking about your essay proposal that is also due at the end of Week 4

A few points that I want to stress … Plagiarism, copying, collusion, ghost writing, and purloining are very serious offences at the university level. Please become familiar with the similarities and differences between these terms. Also, see pages 11 and 12 of the FDN150 Study Guide for the university wide protocols relating to these offences. To be blunt … don’t do it! I will make the point here that it is not that unusual for some students to be disciplined for these offences after having committed them inadvertently, with the best of intentions at writing a stellar paper. They are simply NOT habits to get into or to mistakenly commit. The best prevention is to learn to research, write, and reference well - beginning now! To help you with this I have attached a copy of a recent Harvard (also known as Chicago) referencing guide to set one acceptable standard for you to use throughout the course. However, I don’t EXPECT you to use Harvard referencing as the only appropriate referencing method for your papers. I offer this option as one of many acceptable standards. For example, American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style is also popular, and widely used throughout the social sciences. Please note that you should choose ONE referencing style at a time in your papers – think about which style best suits the particular discipline you are likely to major in. I suggest you GET VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT STYLE AND THEN STICK WITH IT throughout the entire semester. You can learn how to use other styles later. Use the Australian Government’s ‘Style Manual’ or the web to get excellent and additional referencing guidance (See: Murdoch University Main Library Reserve: 808.025 STY 1994 or go to ONLINE! Citation Styles Index: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html). On the issue of due dates, all assignments must be received by the external studies office by the end of office hours (5pm) on the Friday of the week they are due. You can email them to [email protected]. Please be sure that a COVER SHEET IS ATTACHED and that you submit your work in electronic form – assignments written in Microsoft Word are the easiest for me to assess electronically as I can get comments back to you using Track Changes – an editing and commenting tool in Word that enables me to make comments without altering your paper. If you need an extension, I generally give one per student per semester. Beyond that, you will need to have extenuating circumstances for another extension to be granted. Regardless, you will need to contact me BEFORE the assignment due date if you would like to avoid losing penalty points. We can discuss the possibility of your being granted an extension depending on your circumstances at the time. That said, I will use my discretion and say no if you have simply not got your act together. You will lose 2% per working day late should an extension not be granted. I have attached a copy of an essay-writing template to help with the settings you choose for your ‘page set-up’ options in your word processing programme. Please note that I DON’T expect you to conform to this template verbatim but rather only offer it as a guide. The choice of document settings is ultimately yours, but it will make marking much easier for me and set some helpful standards for you to use in future essay structuring.

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For those of you that struggle as writers (which is most of us), there is also a wealth of resource on developing sound writing skills on the web, in the Murdoch University Library, and at the Murdoch University Teaching and Learning Centre. To learn more about what is available to you on campus start by viewing the following document in the Murdoch Library Reserve: http://prospero.murdoch.edu.au/search~S1?/Xoff+campus+services&Go=+go+&searchscope=1&SORT=A/Xoff+campus+services&Go=+go+&searchscope=1&SORT=A&SUBKEY=off%20campus%20services/1%2C5%2C5%2CB/frameset&FF=Xoff+campus+services&Go=+go+&searchscope=1&SORT=A&1%2C1%2C. I highly recommend you take the initiative and use the on-campus resources available to you in support of your research and writing development. After all, you have already paid for these services and resources through your fees. This kind of personalised and detailed help, that is available beyond my tutoring guidance, may make all the difference between scraping by and excelling. The Teaching and Learning Centre is located on the Third Floor of the Library. You can make appointments with them directly or get in touch with them electronically. I’ve taken the time to share these details with you upfront because my experience has been that students do best when they know what is expected of them. Put simply, I want you to flourish, and hope that providing you with this information will help that happen. Of course, contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to a semester full of growth for us both. Onward! Paul M. Pulé Lecturer in Sustainability Ethics and Tutor for FDN 150 Reinventing Australia Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy Murdoch University Mo: 0409 299 196 Email: [email protected]

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Appendix 2.

ASSIGNMENT ATTACHMENT External Studies

Telephone: (08) 9360 2708 Facsimile: (08) 9360 6017

Office Use Only

Date in

Office Use Only

Date Out

STUDENTS - Please fill in sections A,B, and C SECTION A - Identification Details Options (please underline) email address: Online S1X,YX,S2X,HX Unit Code:

RDN 150

Unit Title :

Reinventing Australia

Assignment Number :

3

Assignment Title :

Research essay

Date: 20.11.08

Student Number:

Student’s Name :

FDN150 Reinventing Australia External Student

Tutor’s Name : Any queries please contact your tutor

SECTION B - Return Address SECTION C - Declaration

FDN150 Reinventing Australia External Student Name: Address: Please fill in address in BLOCK Capitals (This is for the return of your assignment.)

Except where I have indicated, the work I am submitting in this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted for assessment in another course. ....................................

................ Name SECTION D - Tutor’s Comments Anonymous, You are to be proud. This is a fantastic paper. You have written on the important topic of reconciliation from the perspective of a compassionate and supportive writer, one whose depth of perception and care for the human spirit beyond race is obvious – well done! I would have enjoyed reading your thoughts on how the Rudd Government can continue to extend the February apology beyond gesture. This extra step of offering solutions to the problems that you face would be the finishing polish on an already excellent piece of work. I also noted that your in-text quoting was extensive and therefore encourage you to learn how to block-quote (see my notes below). The act of referencing is tricky as the writer’s task is

Anonymous FDN150 Reinventing Australia External Student

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to provide evidence to support their own thinking without then getting distracted by what other people have said on a chosen topic – in other words to keep their own voice at the forefront … You went perhaps a little overboard in this regard, given the scope of this paper, and given you ran more than 500 words past the limit. It is in these places that you could have trimmed down the bulk of the paper by paraphrasing instead of using as many direct quotes as you did. For larger assessments, such a technique is however fine. In general, I think you managed the sensitivity of the topic with grace, and used appropriate references to support your case. On a final point … there was a need to place the institutionalized racism issue at the heart of the paper, and early on. This would have brought the entire focus of the paper in-line with your message of liberation for indigenous people. It is an easy aspect of such conversations for whities to avoid … being uncomfortable as it is … and can leave a sour taste in one’s mouth on both ends of the oppression (perpetrator as well as victim). It’s been a pleasure and privilege to share the passed months with you. I wish you all the best, Warmly, Paul Assessment : 85% (HD) Tutor’s

name : Paul M. Pulé Date : 26th November, 2008

Appendix 3.

Email to a student requesting an extension due to a mid-semester breakdown:

From: "Paul M. Pulé" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:31:56 -0700 To: FDN150 Reinventing Australia External Student Of course … What I do in situations like this is I encourage the student to take the lead ... So sit quietly for a moment and take a realistic look at what you have going on. Try to prioritise things. Put the assignment where you think it ought go in the list ... (and I strongly encourage you to put it AFTER your health and well-being) ... Then think about what date and time would be a realistic alternative due date ... I suggest not much more than a week or two if you can swing it cos otherwise you may fall quite far behind ... Then once you’ve got that date/time pegged ... Simply email me with it so I can make a note of it and hold you to your word to yourself. How’s that sound? Looking forward to hearing from you. Warmly, Paul

18

P.s. I offer this to all my students once a semester ... And after that .. Short of an emergency I take late penalties off if it happened again. Shall we count this one as yours? From: FDN150 External Student Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 20:08:24 +1030 To: "Paul M. Pulé" <[email protected]> Subject: RE: With Thanks Paul, You have been absolutely brilliant and you are definitely deserving of an accolade for your assistance and guidance. Thankyou for taking the time to provide clarity and explain issues I have struggled to understand. I appreciate that you are extremely busy, but your patience is a godsent. Thanks again and I will probably phone you tomorrow. FDN150 External Student

Appendix 4.

Example of a Closure Note Emailed to all Students in FDN150 Reinventing Australia (Semester 1, 2009): To: Internal and External Students in FDN150 Reinventing Australia (Semester 1 – 2009) Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 16:24:46 +0800 Subject: With Thanks From: [email protected] All, Many of you have written to me with kind words of support for my tutoring ... Its been a pleasure and privilege to share these past months with you. I am honoured, and send you my thanks in return for the opportunity to be a part of your educational unfolding ... Its been brought to my attention that the Teaching Excellence Nominations are open until this Friday 5th June. See: http://www.tlc.murdoch.edu.au/eddev/grants/awards/ I’d welcome the opportunity to throw my hat in the ring for the award if you feel moved to nominate me. All the best with this final dash to the finish ... I’m cheering you on all the way : ). Paul Paul M. Pulé

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Research Associate Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy School of Sustainability Murdoch University, MURDOCH 6150 email: [email protected] <http://murdoch.edu.au/> off: +61 8 9360 2600 mo: +61 (0)409 054 069 Skype: paulpule www.sustainability.murdoch.edu.au <http://www.sustainability.murdoch.edu.au <http://www.sustainability.murdoch.edu.au/> > Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase "each other" doesn't make any sense. Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi - 13th Century

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Appendix 5.

STP 206/606 Sustainability Ethics

Unit Information and Learning Guide Semester 1, 2008

Unit Coordinator for Semester 1, 2008: Paul Pulé Room: 3.10 in Social Sciences Building Office: 9360-2775 Mobile: 0409 299 196 Fax: 9360-6421 Email: [email protected] STP 206/606 – Unit Information and Learning Guide 2008 2 Publication Information © Published by Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, January 2008. Written by Paul M. Pulé This publication is copyright. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act no part of it may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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STP206/606 Sustainability Ethics

Unit Overview [Semester1, 2008]

Prerequisites: None

Aims and Objectives: What is Sustainability Ethics? Sustainability Ethics (STP 206/606) aims to alter the impact that humanity is having on the planet. The discipline’s roots originate in the 1970’s from within Environmental Ethics, drawing its core tenets from deep ecology, animal liberation, land ethics, gender/nature debates, as well as sustainable domestic and international developmental policies and practices. Sustainability Ethics encourages us to redefine our set of moral principles and practices so we can develop an intimate understanding of ourselves, and our relationship with more-than-human nature. Sustainability Ethics brings about a shift in our cultural beliefs and the ways we interact with the world by encouraging the flourishing of life systems – human and more-than-human alike. Aidan Davison’s (2002) submission to the Western Australian State Sustainability Strategy notes a plurality of ethical foundations comprising a more sustainable world. This array of ethics collectively represents:

The impulse to be good and do right [that] lies deeply embedded in the details of our embodied experience [and the] … capacity to imagine a world very different from the present: a world in which what is today considered a ‘resource’ may be experienced as sacred; a world in which laments by the overfed about the numbers of people who starve from birth to death is transformed into a ‘sustained-ability’ to share their wealth.11

Michael Booth (2002) puts forward cooperation, collaboration, and consideration as foundational principles of Sustainability Ethics, which construct an ethos of relatedness and wisdom that generates a “ … climate of warmth and width of response” to the needs of society and environment.12 Patsy Hallen (2002) suggests that:

… we need an ethics which recognizes our radical continuity with and dependency on nature. Our relations with earth others are not just instrumental and external, they constitute who we are: Ecological Beings … we need a living earth ethics which throbs with the pungent breath of the whale.13

Sustainability Ethics calls such perceptions into being within the individual and through them, gains increasing purchase throughout human society. For Brad Pettitt, an ethical practice that both widens our care for the non-human world and deepens our care for fellow humans is an

11 Davison, A. (2002) Sustainability: The ability to sustain “the good”. A Submission to the Western Australian State Sustainability Strategy, Murdoch University, Institute or Sustainability and Technology Policy, p. 1. 12 Booth, M. (2002) What is the ethical foundation for planning a more sustainable future? Murdoch University, Institute or Sustainability and Technology Policy (unpubl.), pp. 1 - 3. 13 Hallen, P. (2002) Ethics for Sustainability. Murdoch University, Institute or Sustainability and Technology Policy (unpubl.), pp. 1 – 3.

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important pursuit. How ought we live in world that is marked by injustice and unsustainable practices that leave most of the world poor and global biodiversity deeply under threat? Sustainability Ethics attempts to synthesise such thoughts in support of a healthy planet for present and future generations. The discipline falls under two key categories: Reform Ethics – which encourage adaptations towards greater social and environmental sensitivity within the existing constraints of Modernity; and Transformative Ethics – which reach beyond the existing constraints of Western ontology and epistemology in seeking holistic philosophical principles and practices that form the basis for broad-scale behavioural change towards personal, social, political, cultural and environmental sustainability. This unit explores the ethical basis of sustainability across a widened spectrum of consideration.

Course Syllabus: Week Topic 1 Making the Connection: The Ethics of Sustainability,

Social Justice and Environmentalism 2 Sustainability Ethics Yesterday and Today: The Legacy

of Western Modernity 3 The Successes and Challenges of Contemporary

Sustainability Ethics 4 Stewardship: To Care or To Control? 5 Social and Environmental Justice 6 Study Break 7 Awakening the Ecological Self 8 Gender and Ecology (I): Ecological Feminism 9 Gender and Ecology (II): Ecological Masculinism 10 Study Break 11 Animals and Us / Animals are Us 12 Sustainability Ethics as Praxis: What does

Sustainability Ethics mean for how we live? [Field Trip]

13 The International Relevance of Sustainability Ethics 14 Sustainability Ethics Tomorrow: Hope for the Future 15 Teaching Free Week 16 Exam Week 1 17 Exam Week 2

Appendix 6.

STP206/606 Sustainability Ethics

Unit/Course and Instructional Materials [Semester1, 2008]

Learning Objectives Reasons to study Sustainability Ethics

23

Sustainability Ethics provide an opportunity to:

• Explore the historical, social and cultural values that shape the ways we interact with the human and more-than-human world;

• Recognise that sustainability ethics offers an important entry point into our

understanding of global social and ecological dis-ease;

• Develop a theoretical and practical appreciation for the ways that social and ecological oppressions are linked with economic, social, environmental, and cultural sustainability;

• Reveal the personal moral horizons of political, social, economic, cultural, and

technical sustainability;

• Foster attitudes that accentuate our inner ability to care deeply for the world;

• Give political significance to that care;

• Cultivate the necessary ethical frameworks, which enable us to view human and more-than-human nature in ways that preserve and improve the flourishing of all life on earth

Graduate Attributes STP 206/606 aims to incorporate Murdoch University’s graduate attributes into personal and professional development, through:

Communication: The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in a range of contexts using communication, literacy, numeracy and information technology skills. Critical and Creative Thinking: The ability to collect, analyze and evaluate information and ideas and solve problems by thinking clearly, critically and creatively. Social Interaction: A capacity to relate to and collaborate with others to exchange views and ideas and to achieve desired outcomes through teamwork, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Independent and lifelong learning: A capacity to be a self directed learner and thinker and to study and work independently. Ethics: An awareness of and sensitivity to ethics and ethical standards on interpersonal and social levels, and within a field of study and/or profession. Social justice: An acknowledgment of and respect for equality of opportunity, individual and civic responsibility, other cultures and times, and an appreciation of cultural diversity. Global perspective: An awareness of and respect for the social, biological, cultural and economic interdependence of global life.

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Interdisciplinarity: A capacity to acquire knowledge and understanding of fields of study beyond a single discipline. In-depth knowledge of a field of study: A comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of a field of study and defined professional skills where appropriate.

Unit Coordinator Your coordinator for Semester 1: 2008 STP 206/606 Sustainability Ethics is Paul M. Pulé. Paul’s office (Room 3.10) is located in the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy (ISTP), on the third floor of the Social Sciences Building. He will be available for consultations by appointment and can be contacted by mobile: 0409 299 196, office: 08-9360-2775, or email: [email protected]. Should Paul not be available, kindly contact the Course Tutor.

Tutor You will be notified of your tutor at the first lecture.

Technical Help For technical difficulties contact the IT Service Desk: [email protected] or phone 9360 2000 For difficulties with other online materials contact your Unit Coordinator.

Learning Activities To successfully complete STP 206/606, you are encouraged to attend or review the lectures and participate in one of the two tutorials each week (50 minutes each).

Attendance Lectures may be attended in-person or reviewed on-line using Lectopia (http://www.murdoch.edu.au/teach/lrctopia/). Tutorial attendance is required for internal students. You may be absence for no more than two tutorials throughout the semester without prior arrangement with your tutor. Additional unexcused absences may affect your final grade.

Resources for the Unit Unit Information and Learning Guide and Reader (both items are available from the Murdoch University Book Store or will be issued to you through External Studies if you are an external student).

Assignment Cover Sheets and Submissions Cover Page All internal students must submit assignments with a cover sheet by placing them in the secure brown box outside the Programme Chair’s Office (Room 3.017) at the ISTP. Internal Students can collect assignment cover sheets from the ISTP. External Students will receive copies of the appropriate assignment coversheet from External Studies and must submit their

25

assignments electronically or by post through the External Studies office to be sure they are formally logged. Assignment Submission Assignments must be submitted by 5pm on the due date. Please note that it is the responsibility of students to keep a copy of all assignments handed in for assessment. Re-submissions, extensions and late submission, will only be granted under extenuating circumstances and must be negotiated with the Unit Coordinator or your tutor prior to their due date. Deferred assessments may be obtained under justifiable circumstances and must be negotiated with the Unit Coordinator. Electronic Assignment Submission When submitting assignments electronically, you may also use the Murdoch University Generic Electronic Cover Sheet: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/policies/electronic.html

Determination of the Final Grade Your final grade for the unit will be reported by a letter grade that reflects the extent to which you have achieved unit objectives outlined in the assignments. High Distinction (HD) 80 – 100% Exceptional performance indicating complete and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter; genuine mastery of relevant skills; demonstration of an extremely high level of interpretive and analytical ability and intellectual initiative; and achievement of all major and minor objectives of the subject. Distinction (D) 70 – 79% Excellent performance indicating a very high level of understanding of the subject matter; development of relevant skills to a very high level; demonstration of a very high level of interpretive and analytical ability and intellectual initiative; and achievement of all major and minor objectives of the subject. Credit (C) 60 – 69% Good performance indicating a high level of understanding of subject matter; development of relevant skills to a high level; demonstration of a high level of interpretive and analytical ability and achievement of all major objectives of the subject; some minor objectives not fully achieved. Pass (P) 50 – 59% Satisfactory performance indicating an adequate understanding of most of the basic subject matter partial development of relevant skills; adequate interpretive and analytical ability and achievement of all major objectives of the subject; failure to achieve some minor objectives. Fail (N) Below 50% Limited performance indicating partial understanding of basic subject matter; partial development of relevant skills; some evidence of interpretive and analytical ability; achievement of most major objectives of the subject but failure to achieve some, failure to achieve some minor objectives. Fail (DNS) Below 50%

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Limited performance indicating partial understanding of basic subject matter; partial development of relevant skills; some evidence of interpretive and analytical ability; achievement of most major objectives of the subject but failure to achieve some, failure to achieve some minor objectives. Failed to participate in any assessment past the HECS census date. Supplementary Assessment (S) 45 – 49% Unsatisfactory performance indicating an adequate understanding of the basic subject matter; failure to develop relevant skills; insufficient evidence of interpretive and analytical ability; and failure to achieve major and minor objectives of the subject. The award of the grade of S shall be at the discretion of the Unit Coordinator The grade descriptors are provided in the Murdoch University Handbook and Calendar and at http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/policies/assessment.html#11

University Policy on Assessment Assessment for this unit is in accordance with the provisions of Degree Regulations 40–48. Check these in the current Murdoch University Handbook and Calendar or http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/legsln/regs/bachelor.html#assessment

Assessment Roles and Responsibilities Please refer to the University Policy on Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Staff http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/policies/assessment.html#8

Academic Integrity Murdoch University encourages its students and staff to pursue the highest standards of integrity in all academic activity. Academic integrity involves behaving ethically and honestly in scholarship and relies on respect for others’ ideas through proper acknowledgement and referencing of publications. Lack of academic integrity, including the examples listed below, can lead to serious penalties. Find out more about how to reference properly and avoid plagiarism at: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/teach/plagiarism Plagiarism and Collusion Plagiarism constitutes using the work of another without indicating by referencing (and by quotations marks when exact phrases or passages are borrowed) that the ideas expressed are not one’s own (see Appendix 1 for helpful and acceptable referencing styles). Students can use the ideas and information from other authors, but this use must be acknowledged. It is also not acceptable to submit an assignment which is simply a paraphrasing of extracts from previous work – your own or someone else’s. The work submitted must include some intellectual contribution of the student’s own. Unauthorised collaboration (‘collusion’) constitutes joint effort between students, or students and others, in preparing material submitted for assessment, except where this has been approved by the Unit coordinator. Students are encouraged to discuss matters covered in units, but when writing an assignment the recording and treatment of data and the expression

27

of ideas and arguments must be the student’s own. Murdoch University regards most seriously any acts of dishonesty in assessment such as plagiarism, collusion, re-submission of previously marked work from different units, examination misconduct and theft of other students’ work. These acts could result in penalties including failure in the unit and possible exclusion from the University. For further details please refer to the section on ‘Dishonesty in Assessment’ in the current Murdoch handbook Section 1, Assessment and Academic Progress or http://www.murdoch.edu.au/vco/secretariat/admin/codes/assessapp2.html#dishonesty. Ghost Writing Ghost Writing results in an assignment written by a third party and represented by a student as her or his own work. Purloining Material copied from another student’s assignment with her or his knowledge. Non-discriminatory Language Murdoch University is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language. Students and staff should avoid the use of discriminatory language in all activities within the University. This applies to both oral and written communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue, however the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are therefore requested to check your work and ensure it is non-discriminatory in all respects. Non-discriminatory language Please refer to: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/teach/studyat/non_disc.html Student appeals and grievances handling processes Please refer to: http://www.oss.murdoch.edu.au/grievances/ Conscientious Objection Any student with a conscientious belief that is in conflict with teaching and/or assessment practices in this unit is advised to contact the Unit coordinator prior to the start of the unit or in the first three weeks of semester. Early notice increases the chances that alternative arrangements can be made. Further details about what constitutes a conscientious belief and how these claims are assessed can be found in the University’s Guidelines on Conscientious Objection in Teaching and Assessment, at: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/vco/secretariat/admin/gdelines/consciobj.html Deferred Assessment and Special Consideration Deferred assessment may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Special consideration in the awarding of grades is also possible in some circumstances. Refer to the current university Handbook or: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/vco/secretariat/admin/codes/assessapp2.html#deferred Explanation of Grades and Appeals

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Students have the right to appeal their assessment in this unit. First, you should approach your tutor for a review of an assignment. If you are not satisfied with this process, then take your case to the Unit coordinator. Students who feel they have grounds for appealing against their final grade in this unit should consult the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook under Degree Regulation 49. See also: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/legsIn/regs/bachelor.html#appeals or the Office of Student Services Appeals Procedure: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/oss/legacy_pages/appeals.html.

Examinations Examinations details are given below. For general information about examinations, please refer to http://www.murdoch.edu.au/oss/exams/.

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Internal Assessment

STP 206 – Internal Assignment Description Value Critical Thinking Journal (4 x 500 words each)

Keep a journal for the first 4 weeks of the unit where you critically analyse the lecture material, the readings and offer your personal reflections

20%

Ethics In-Action Project (2,000 – 2,500 words)

Choose a specific sustainability issue and explore the ethics and philosophies that apply

30%

Tutorial Component Attendance – minimum 9 tutorials. Creative Project (a piece capturing sustainability in-action in your personal life) Tutorial Presentation (lead the class discussion on the week’s focus) Participation (how well have you engaged with the material)

5% 5% 5% 5%

Exam Closed Book Exam 30% Total 100%

Critical Thinking Journal (20%) Keep a journal for the first four weeks of the unit where you critically analyse the lecture material and the readings by responding to the following three questions.

1. What are the main theses (central point) of the week’s required readings? 2. What are the main reasons or arguments the authors give in support of their thesis? 3. What is your critical analysis of both the thesis and the supporting arguments? What

are the strengths and weaknesses of each article’s argument, and why? Be sure to justify your views, including cross-referencing from additional sources where appropriate.

4. Comment on the week’s themes as they are discussed in the lecture and tutorial and as they relate to your personal life.

Also, include your personal reflections about the impact these topics are having on your sustainability ethics. Each weekly journal entry should be approximately 500 words.

Ethics-in-Action Project (30%) In this 2,000 – 2,500-word project, you are asked to analyse a specific sustainability issue (local, state, national, or international), using philosophical arguments, ethical principles, strategies for change, and the skills developed in the course. The project should take the form of a report or extended discursive essay focusing on topics such as climate change, the effectiveness of government sustainability strategies such as carbon trading, etc. You should give particular attention to the moral imperatives that relate to the chosen topic by framing the project in terms of one or a number of the ethical themes illuminated throughout the course (for example animal welfare or ecological feminism). You should also include your personal perspectives on the issues raised. Please aim to structure this project according to standard philosophical analyses and the ethical treatment of the chosen topic. Also, be sure to reference using an approved academic style. Your research should include a minimum of five references. Please aim to limit your web referencing to no more than two out of every five citations unless they are electronic versions of academic peer-reviewed texts.

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Tutorial Component (20%) This assessment is designed to encourage the tutorial sessions to be enriching and participatory educational experiences that accelerate your educational process, and is made up of four distinct components. Attendance (5%): Students who attend less than nine tutorials throughout the semester will incur penalty points. Under extenuating circumstances, students may be excused from additional tutorials, but must contact their tutor or the unit coordinator to negotiate extended absences. Creative Project (5%): At your first tutorial, you will nominate a week that suits you best to present a creative project, which explores your interactions with the more-than-human world. This presentation will be 5-10 minutes and take the form of a piece of art, a song, performance, scaled model, etc. You may collaborate with other students but this must be arranged with your tutor. Your project should be accompanied with a commentary (approx. 200 words) that addresses the intersection between your creative project and sustainability ethics. Tutorial Presentation (5%): You will be expected to conduct a 5-10 minute tutorial report to ‘kick-off’ the weekly discussion – students will nominate their assigned weeks at the first tutorial. Participation (5%): All internal students are expected to attend and actively participate in the weekly tutorials allocated to the course. Be prepared to comment on the issues raised by the week’s lecture material and assigned readings. As student attendance and participation will be monitored, it will be in your best interest to come prepared to ‘pull the discussion towards you’, and offer support to others in the class as they do so as well.

Exam (30%) There will be a two-hour, closed book exam for this course. Sample questions and guidance in regards to how you might best respond to the kinds of philosophical and ethical questions asked of you will be addressed towards semester’s end.

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STP 606 – Internal Assignment Description Value Critical Thinking Journal (4 x 750 words each)


25%

Thematic Essay (2,000 words)

Respond to 1 of the essay questions provided noting the links between the topics raised and sustainability ethics

20%



35%

Ethics In-Action Presentation

Summarise and present your Ethics-in-Action Project at your Tutorial

10%

Tutorial Component Attendance (minimum 10 tutorials) Participation (how well have you engaged with the material)

5% 5%

Exam No Exam 0% Total 100%






Thematic Essay (20%) Respond to one of the following essay questions, noting the links between the topics raised and sustainability ethics:

1. Carbon trading is emerging as a new aspect of global economics. What are some of the benefits and pitfalls of a Carbon economy and what implications it is having and will it have on the mainstreaming of sustainability ethics?

2. Discuss the significance of Australia’s decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. What impact will this have on global social and environmental justice issues? What role do sustainability ethics play in encouraging nations to endorse and adhere to a universal agreement that prioritises sustainability?

3. Sustainability ethics play a key role in shifting an individual’s politics and practices towards social and environmental justice. Explore this concept relative to the environmental philosophies discussed throughout the course, referencing the impact of the course material on your own life.

4. The mainstreaming of sustainability ethics requires a shift in gender relations within

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human society, and between humans and the more-than-human world. Discuss the current and future trends of gender identity and how this might impact the uptake of sustainability ethics globally.

5. International development policies typically encourage and incorporate thoughtful sustainability strategies. Are they effective? Discuss some of the benefits and costs of international aid, citing a case study to strengthen your perspective.

Ethics-in-Action Project (35%) In this 3,000 – 3,500-word project, you are asked to analyse a specific sustainability issue (local, state, national, or international), using philosophical arguments, ethical principles, strategies for change, and the skills developed in the course. The project should take the form of a report or extended discursive essay focusing on topics such as climate change, the effectiveness of government sustainability strategies such as carbon trading, etc. You should give particular attention to the moral imperatives that relate to the chosen topic by framing the project in terms of one or a number of the ethical themes illuminated throughout the course (for example: animal welfare or ecological feminism). You should also include your personal perspectives on the issues raised. Please aim to structure this project according to standard philosophical analyses and the ethical treatment of the chosen topic. As post-graduate students, you are additionally expected to consider the underlying sources of the predominant value conflicts involved in your chosen topic, as well as possible strategies for conflict mediation and for encouraging greater public appreciation of the need for sustainability ethics – in other words why ought a sustainability ethics be present, how might it be implemented and what outcomes are likely? In addition to an expectation of post-graduate level grammatical poise and lucid expression, also be sure to reference using an approved academic style. Your research should include a minimum of five references. Please aim to limit your web referencing to no more than two out of every five citations unless they are electronic versions of academic peer-reviewed texts.

33

Ethics-in-Action Presentation (10%) Along with submitting your Ethics-in-Action Project, be prepared to present your project at the final tutorial for the semester. This should be no more than a 5 – 10 minute presentation and may include visual aids.

Tutorial Component (10%) This assessment is designed to encourage the tutorial sessions to be enriching and participatory educational experiences that accelerate your educational process, and is made up of four distinct components. Attendance (5%): Students who attend less than nine tutorials throughout the semester will incur penalty points. Under extenuating circumstances, students may be excused from additional tutorials, but must contact their tutor or the unit coordinator to negotiate extended absences. Participation (5%): All internal students are expected to attend and actively participate in the weekly tutorials allocated to the course. Be prepared to comment on the issues raised by the week’s lecture material and assigned readings. As student attendance and participation will be monitored, it will be in your best interest to come prepared to ‘pull the discussion towards you’, and offer support to others in the class as they do so as well.

Examination (0%) No Exam.

External Assessment

STP 206 – External Assignment Description Value Critical Thinking Journal (4 x 500 words each)


20%



20%



30%



1. What are the main theses (central point) of the week’s required readings? 2. What are the main reasons or arguments the authors give in support of their thesis?

34

3. What is your critical analysis of both the thesis and the supporting arguments? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each article’s argument, and why? Be sure to justify your views, including cross-referencing from additional sources where appropriate.



Thematic Essay (20%) In this 1,500-word essay, respond to one of the following essay questions, noting the links between the topics raised and sustainability ethics:



3. Sustainability ethics play a key role in shifting an individual’s politics and practices towards social and environmental justice. Explore this concept relative to the environmental philosophies discussed throughout the course, referencing the impact of the course material on your own life.

4. The mainstreaming of sustainability ethics requires a shift in gender relations within human society, and between humans and the more-than-human world. Discuss the current and future trends of gender identity and how this might impact the uptake of sustainability ethics globally.


Ethics-in-Action Project (30%) In this 2,500 – 3,000-word project, you are asked to analyse a specific sustainability issue (local, state, national, or international), using philosophical arguments, ethical principles, strategies for change, and the skills developed in the course. The project should take the form of a report or extended discursive essay focusing on topics such as climate change, the effectiveness of government sustainability strategies such as carbon trading, etc. You should give particular attention to the moral imperatives that relate to the chosen topic by framing the project in terms of one or a number of the ethical themes illuminated throughout the course (for example animal welfare or ecological feminism). You should also include your personal perspectives on the issues raised. Please aim to structure this project according to standard philosophical analyses and the ethical treatment of the chosen topic. Also, be sure to reference using an approved academic style. Your research should include a minimum of five references. Please aim to limit your web referencing to no more than two out of every five citations unless they are electronic versions of academic peer-reviewed texts.

35


STP 606 – External Assignment Description Value Critical Thinking Journal (4 x 750 words each)


25%



20%



25%







Thematic Essay (20%) Respond to one of the following essay questions, noting the links between the topics raised and sustainability ethics:



3. Sustainability ethics play a key role in shifting an individual’s politics and practices towards social and environmental justice. Explore this concept relative to the environmental philosophies discussed throughout the course, referencing the impact

36

of the course material on your own life. 4. The mainstreaming of sustainability ethics requires a shift in gender relations within

human society, and between humans and the more-than-human world. Discuss the current and future trends of gender identity and how this might impact the uptake of sustainability ethics globally.


Ethics-in-Action Project (25%) In this 3,500 – 4,000-word project, you are asked to analyse a specific sustainability issue (local, state, national, or international), using philosophical arguments, ethical principles, strategies for change, and the skills developed in the course. The project should take the form of a report or extended discursive essay focusing on topics such as climate change, the effectiveness of government sustainability strategies such as carbon trading, etc. You should give particular attention to the moral imperatives that relate to the chosen topic by framing the project in terms of one or a number of the ethical themes illuminated throughout the course (for example animal welfare or ecological feminism). You should also include your personal perspectives on the issues raised. Please aim to structure this project according to standard philosophical analyses and the ethical treatment of the chosen topic. As post-graduate students, you are additionally expected to consider the underlying sources of the predominant value conflicts involved in your chosen topic, as well as possible strategies for conflict mediation and for encouraging greater public appreciation of the need for sustainability ethics – in other words why ought a sustainability ethics be present, how might it be implemented and what outcomes are likely? In addition to an expectation of post-graduate level grammatical poise and lucid expression, also be sure to reference using an approved academic style. Your research should include a minimum of five references. Please aim to limit your web referencing to no more than two out of every five citations unless they are electronic versions of academic peer-reviewed texts.


37

Week 1: Sustainability Ethics for Today: Course Introduction Readings: Required:

Peter Garrett (2000) “The Digger Moves On” in The Bulletin, Dec/Jan: 74-75. Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers and Dennis Meadows (2004) “Overshoot” in Limits to Growth: The 30 Year Update. London: Earthscan Publications, pp. 1 – 16. Holmes Rolston III (2003) “Value in Nature and the Nature of Value” in Environmental Ethics: An Anthology, Andre Light and Holmes Rolston III (eds.). Malden: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 143 – 153.

Recommended:

Garrett Harding (2002) “The Tragedy of the Commons” in Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works, David Schmidtz and Elizabeth Willnott (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 331 - 340. Peter Hay (2002) “Ecophilosophy” in Main Currents in Western Environmental Thought. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, pp. 26 – 71. Bill McKibben (1999) “Postnatural”, Aperture, 150: 5-6. K. S. Shrader-Frechette (1981) “Alternative Ethics Regarding the Environment” in Environmental Ethics, K. S. Shrader-Frechette (ed.). Pacific Grove: The Boxwood Press, pp. 28 – 56. Anthony Weston (1999) “Is It Too Late?” in An Invitation to Environmental Philosophy, A. Weston (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 43 – 68.

This week’s readings aim to whet your appetite as you begin asking fundamental questions about the ways you view humanity’s relationships with the more-than human world. This week’s readings are intended to initiate the process of creating more ecologically benign interactions between our fellow humans and natural world upon which we depend.

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Week 2: Ethics of Modernity: Our Ethical Legacy Readings:

Required: Caroline Merchant (1980) “Dominion Over Nature” in The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Harper and Row, pp. 164 – 190. James Lovelock (2006) “Forecasts for the Twenty First Century” in Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth is Fighting Back and How We Can Still Save Humanity. London: Allen Lane, pp. 48 – 65.

Recommended:

Lester R. Brown (1997) “State of the World” in Classics in Environmental Studies: An Overview of Classic Texts in Environmental Studies, Nico Nelissen, Jan Vanderstraaten, and Leon Klinkers (eds.). Utrecht: International Books, pp. 320 - 332. Bill Devall and George Sessions (1985) “The Dominant Modern World View and Its Critics” and “The Reformist Response” in Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, pp. 41 – 49 & 51 – 61. David Korten (2006) “Modern Empire” in The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community. Bloomfield: Kumarian Press, pp. 126 – 141. Caroline Merchant (1980) “The Mechanical Order” in The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Harper and Row, pp. 192 – 235. Richard Tarnas (1996) “V: The Modern World View” in The Passion of the Western Mind. London: Pimlico, pp. 223 – 323. Anthony Weston (1992) “Before Environmental Ethics” in Environmental Ethics, Volume 14 (4), pp. 597 – 608. Lynne White (1999) “The Historic Roots of Our Ecological Crisis” in Environmental Ethics, Joseph Desjardins (ed.). London: Mayfield, (PART 1: A Context for Environmental Ethics) pp. 46 – 52.

Week 2 explores the historical underpinnings of the social and ecological crises that pervade Western society, noting the origins and the outcomes of our drift away from sustainability, which some suggest was our evolutionary default behaviourism. How did humanity’s goodness and right action that brought about a metaphysical inclusiveness and care for the self immersed in the world for most of human existence become more self-oriented in the space of a few millennia? How are our beliefs about nature connected with our ethics?

Week 3: Sustainability Ethics and the Challenges to Sustainability Readings:

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Required: The Real World Coalition (2001) “Sustaining the Environment” in From Here to Sustainability: Politics in the Real World, Ian Christie Diane Warburton (eds.). London: Earthscan, pp. 54 – 82. Donald Worster (2005) “The Shaky Ground of Sustainability” in Sustainability: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences [Volume II: Sustainable Development], Michael Redclift (ed.). London: Routledge, pp. 11 – 23. Recommended: Garrett Harding (2002) “Living on a Lifeboat” in Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works, David Schmidtz and Elizabeth Willnott (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 374 – 386. Peter Huber (1999) “Ethics in the Green Life Boat” in Hard Green: Saving the Environment from the Environmentalists. A Conservative Manifesto. New York: Basic Books, pp. 159 – 173. Kristin S. Schrader-Frechette (1981) “Alternative Ethics Regarding the Environment” in Environmental Ethics. Pacific Grove, CA: Boxwood Press, pp. 28 – 56. Peter Singer (1993) “What’s in it for me?” in How Are We To Live?: Ethics in an Age of Self-Interest. Milsons Point: Random House, pp. 26 – 44. Paul W. Taylor (1998) “The Ethics of Respect for Nature” in Environmental Ethics: From Animal Rights to Radical Ecology, Michael E. Zimmerman, J. Baird Callicott, George Sessions, Karen J. Warren, and John Clarke (eds.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall, pp. 71 – 86.

This week’s readings explore the implications of ‘normative’ (or value-laden) inquiries, and aims to introduce some of the philosophical strategies that have emerged for considering them. A key distinction is the need to extend our philosophical self-understandings and articulations about meaningful and constructive debates towards those who appear to hold very different values from our own. How do we achieve expressions of this goodness and right action through care for human and more-than-human others, and what role does philosophy and science play in sustainability ethics?

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Week 4: Animals and Us / Animals are Us Readings:

Required: Ingmar Persson (1993) “A Basis for (Interspecies) Equality” in The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity, Paola Cavalieri and Peter Singer (eds.). New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, pp. 183 – 193. Tom Regan and Alexander Cockburn (1995) “The Burden of Complicity” and “A Short, Meat-Oriented History of the World From Eden to the Mattole” in Dead Meat, Sue Coe (ed.). New York: Four Walls, Eight Windows, pp. 1 – 4 & 5 – 35. Recommended: Stephen Clark (1997) “How to Calculate the Greater Good” in Animals and Their Moral Standing, New York: Routledge, pp. 9 – 15. Rick O’Neil (2000) “Animal Liberation versus Environmentalism”: The Care Solution” in Environmental Ethics, Volume 22, pp. 183 – 190. Peter Singer (1990) “Man’s Dominion: A short history of speciesism” in Animal Liberation (Second Edition). London: Jonathan Cape, pp. Peter Singer (1998) “Animal Liberation” in Ethics into Action: Henry Spira and the Animal Rights Movement (Advice to Activists: Ten Ways to Make a Difference). Carlton South: Melbourne University Press, pp. 45 – 74. William O. Stephens (1999) “Five Arguments for Vegetarianism” in Environmental Ethics, J. Desjardins (ed.). London: Mayfield, pp. 288 – 301. Anthony Weston (1994) “Animals Next to Us” in Back to Earth: Tomorrow’s Environmentalism. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, pp. 15 – 33.

A crucial step in Sustainability Ethics is exploring our relationship with non-human animals. Do they possess moral agency? Are they intrinsically valuable? Do they feel? Do we care? And if so why and how are we able to show that? Seeking answers to these questions provides an avenue towards transformative ethics, radically shifting patterns of thinking, being and doing away from disembodied, pragmatic, self-oriented consumption, and towards an awakened sensitivity for the other beyond the self. In this week’s lecture and readings, you will explore the interface between the human and the more-than-human worlds as an abstract or factual boundary. From there, you will be encouraged to note the impact that a utilitarian defence of animal liberation has on the ways we perceive the animal kingdom, and our place within it.

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Week 5: Stewardship: To Control or To Care? Readings:

Required: Aldo Leopold (1949) “The Land Ethic” in A Sand County Almanac. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 201 – 226. Clare Palmer (2006) “Stewardship: A Case Study in Environmental Ethics” in Environmental Stewardship, R. J. Berry (ed.). London: T & T Clark International pp. 63 – 75. World Wildlife Fund (2000) “Being entrusted to care for natural resources on behalf of society.” A WWF Scotland Report. Scottish Land Reform Convention (Stewardship Advisory Committee: Andrew Raven, Robin Callander, Rachel Harding-Hill, Osbert Lancaster, Gonzalo Oviedo, Camilla Toulmin, Chris Howe), pp. 1 – 9. Recommended: Rachel Carson (1965) “The Obligation to Endure” in Silent Spring. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, pp. 21 – 30. Steven Bouma-Prediger (2001) “How Should We Think of the Earth: A Theology and Ethic of Care for the Earth” in For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, pp. 117 – 135. Chris D. Stone (1997) “Should Trees Have Standing?” in Classics in Environmental Studies: An Overview of Classic Texts in Environmental Studies, Nico Nelissen, Jan Vanderstraaten, and Leon Klinkers (eds.). Utrecht: International Books, pp. 153 – 159. R. Worrell and M. C. Appleby (2000) Stewardship of Natural Resources: Definition, Ethical and Practical Aspects in Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, Volume 12(3), pp. 263 -277.

Stewardship might be defined as the conscious and unconscious responsibility to care for, manage, and control the interactions between humans and the more-than-human world. Often associated with Christian theology, stewardship is widely linked to subservience, hierarchies, absentee landlordism and exploitation. But it can also be associated with trusteeship, agency, companionship, and communion. Is it possible to tune into the ebbs and flows of the land through a stewardship ethic that is non-exploitative, or is stewardship another justification for our tendency to assume domination and control over nature?

Week 7: Gender and Ecology (I): Ecological Masculinism Readings:

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Required: Mary Mellor (1992) “Green Politics: Ecofeminist, Ecofeminine or Ecomasculine?” in Environmental Politics, Volume 1(2), Summer, pp. 229 – 251. Richard Twine (1997) “Masculinity, Nature, Ecofeminism” in www.ecofem.org ejournal: An Open Call for Papers about the journal, retrieved on February 4, 2008 from the World Wide Web at http://www.ecofem.org, pp. 1 – 6. Recommended: Richard Bradley (2006) “Which is the Greener Gender?” in Plenty, April/May, pp. 60 – 63. Mark Allister (ed.) Ecoman: New Perspectives on Masculinity and Nature. Charolettesville, University of Virginia Press. Ian Coldwell (2007) “New Farming Masculinities” in Journal of Sociology, Volume 43(1), pp. 87 – 103. James W. Donaldson (1990) The belief of male ecological leaders regarding the impact of ecological movements on the socialization of the masculine role (Masters Thesis). Long Beach: CA State University. Lee Hall (2005) “Reflections on the Masculine Hegemon: A Reply to Richard Twine” in www.ecofem.org ejournal: An Open Call for Papers about the journal, retrieved on February 4, 2008 from the World Wide Web at http://www.ecofem.org. pp. 1 – 26.

While ecological feminism alludes to post-patriarchal masculine identities, it stops short of making specific recommendations for the ecologisation of masculinities theory or men. To do so would unfairly place expectations on women and feminism to take a lead role in the deconstructive and reconstructive work, which men and masculinities could and should be contributing to the creation of a sustainable world. Here, we explore the values and virtues impressed upon men and masculine identities, noting the foreboding presence of ethics of daring throughout the modern West. But men and masculinities are imbued with ethics of caring – a set of moral principles and practices that emphasise care for self through care for human and more-than-human others. These ethics are inherently male and through wider acknowledgement can enrol men and masculinities into the sustainability project.

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Week 8: Awakening the Ecological Self Readings:

Required: Arne Naess (1988) “Self Realization: An Ecological Approach to Being in the World” in Thinking Like a Mountain, John Seed, Joanna Macy, Pat Flemming and Arne Naess (eds.), Gabriola Island: New Society Publications, pp. 19 – 30. Joanna Macy (1998) “The Basic Miracle: Our True Nature and Power” in Coming Back To Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World, Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown (eds.). Gabriola Island: New Society Press, pp. 39 – 62. Recommended: Warwick Fox (1990) “Moving Away from Human Centredness: From Silent Spring to Deep Ecology” and “Deep Ecology: A Focus Within Ecophilosophy—and Beyond” in Towards a Transpersonal Ecology: Developing New Foundations for Environmentalism. New York: State University of New York, pp. 3 – 40 & 43 – 77, . Bill Devall (1988) “ The Ecological Self” in Simple in Means Rich in Ends: Practising Deep Ecology. London: Green Print, pp. 38 – 72. Joanna Macy (1991) “The Greening of the Self” and “World as Lover, World as Self” in World as Lover, World as Self. Berkeley: Parallax Press, pp. 3 – 14 & 183 – 192. Freya Mathews (1991) “Value in nature and meaning in life “ in The Ecological Self. Savage: Barnes & Noble Books, pp. 117 – 163. Arne Naess (1973) “The Shallow and Deep, Long-range Ecology Movement. A Summary”, in Inquiry, Volume 16(1), Spring, pp. 95 – 100.

This ecological self as an individual corporeal self is an aggregate imbedded within a universal whole. Drawing on the core tenets of deep ecology, this holistic or ecological view reveals an opportunity, indeed a responsibility, to identify the self as a wider Self, in forging an intuitive, emotive and intellectual union throughout the human and more-than-human worlds. In Week 8, you will encounter the theoretical premises and seek ways to unlock your own ecological self. From this place, ethics of caring for self through care for human and more-than-human others emerges.

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Week 9: Gender and Ecology (II): Ecological Feminism Readings:

Required: Val Plumwood (1998) “Nature, Self and Gender: Feminism, Environmental Philosophy and the Critique of Rationalism” in Environmental Ethics: From Animal Rights to Radical Ecology, Michael E. Zimmerman, J. Baird Callicott, George Sessions, Karen J. Warren, and John Clarke (eds.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall, pp. 291 – 314. Karren J. Warren (2000) “Quilting Ecofeminist Philosophy” in Ecofeminist Philosophy. New York: Rowman and Littlefield, pp. 43 – 71. Recommended: Susan Griffin (1974) “Matter” in Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, pp. 5 – 46. Patsy Hallen (1994) “Reawakening the Erotic,” in Habitat Australia, Feb, pp. 18 – 21. Val Plumwood (1993) “Introduction,” in Feminism and the Mastery of Nature. London: Routledge, pp. 1 – 18. Noël Sturgeon (1998) “Movements of Ecofeminism” in Ecofeminist Natures: Race, Gender, Feminist Theory and Political Action. New York: Routledge, pp. 23 – 58. Michael Zimmerman (1994) “Ecofeminism and Deep Ecology” in Contesting Earth’s Future: Radical Ecology and Postmodernity. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 276 – 317.

As one of the most diverse branches of Transformational Ethics, ecological feminism explores the ways in which the historical exploitation and degradation of women is inextricably related to the exploitation and degradation of more-than-human nature. The central premise of androcentrism (or male-centredness) throughout Western thought and practice has brought about hierarchical relationships of domination and has become a defining feature of the rational and dualistic tendencies imbedded within patriarchy. Ecological feminism offers a path beyond these limitations, in the creation of positive affirmations for women, feminine identity, and nature, beyond those imposed by patriarchy. Ecological feminism provides an entry point into the theory and practice of a gender/nature radical ecology as it applies to women and nature. This week’s readings introduce the theoretical framework of ecological feminism and expose the impact of the logic of domination upon human society and the more-than-human world.

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Week 11: Social and Environmental Justice Readings:

Required: Kevin DeLuca (2007) “A Wilderness Environmentalism Manifesto: Contesting the Infinite Self-Absorption of Humans” in Environmental Justice and Environmentalism: The Social Justice Challenge to the Environmental Movement, Ronald Sandler and Phaedra C. Pezzullo (eds.). Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, pp. 27 – 55. Shirley Williams (2003) “Global Social Justice: The Moral Responsibility of the Rich to the Poor” in Making Globalization Good: The Moral Challenges of Global Capitalism, John Dunning (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 334 – 344. Recommended: William Beckerman (2001) “Sustainable Development and our Obligations to Future Generations” in Environmental Ethics and Philosophy: Managing the Environment for Sustainable Development, John O’Neill, R. Kerry Turner and Ian J. Bateman (eds.). Cheltenham: An Elgar Reference Collection, pp. 243 – 270. Robert D. Bullard (2005) “ Environmental Justice in the Twenty-first Century” in The Quest for Environmental Justice: Human Rights and the Politics of Pollution, Robert D. Bullard (ed.). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, pp. 19 – 42. Peter Singer and Tom Gregg (2004) “Australia’s Policy towards Refugees” in How Ethical is Australia?: An Examination of Australia’s Record as a Global Citizen. Melbourne: The Australian Collaboration, pp. 62 – 78. Karen Warren (1999) “Environmental Justice: Some Ecofeminist Worries about a distributive Model” in Environmental Ethics, Volume 21(2), pp. 151 – 161.

Sustainability Ethics guide us towards the preservation of human societies and the environment. They are in effect justice ethics that encourage moral standards and principles, equalising the relationships throughout human communities, and with the more-than-human world. To achieve justice requires a willingness to question the adequacy of existing Western politics and praxes. Seeking new ways of being within the self is essential if we are to create equitable and sustainable societies and relationships between the human and more-than-human world. Here we explore the economic rationality of political decision-making, the extent to-which environmental needs are considered by policy makers, and the intersection between social and environmental justice.

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Week 12: Sustainability Ethics as Praxis: What does Sustainability Ethics mean for how we live? Readings:

Required: The Real World Coalition (2001) “Making It Happen: Closing the Sustainability Gaps” in From Here to Sustainability: Politics in the Real World, Ian Christie and Diane Warburton (eds.). London: Earthscan, pp. 183 – 195. R. K. Turner (2005) “Sustainability: Principles and Practice” in Sustainability: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences, Michael Redclift (ed.) London: Routledge, pp. 38 – 68. Recommended: Sarah A. Conn (1995) “When the Earth Hurts, Who Responds?” in Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind, Theodore Roszak, Mary E. Gomes, and Allen D. Kanner (eds.). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, pp. 156 – 171. Alan Drengson (1995) “Integrated Studies in Technology Practice and Mastery of Appropriate Design” in The Practice of Technology: Exploring Technology, Ecophilosophy, and Spiritual Disciplines for Vital Links. Albany: State University of New York, pp. 167 – 181. David Foreman (1991) “Second Thoughts of an Eco-Warrior” in Defending the Earth: A Debate Between Murray Bookchin and Dave Foreman. Montréal: Black Rose Books, pp. 17 – 119. Albert LaChance (1991) “Chapter Eight – Chapter Ten” in Green Spirit: Twelve Steps in Ecological Spirituality. Rockport: Element, pp. 9 – 137. Delores LaChapelle (1988) “Bringing the Sky into Your Life” in Sacred Land, Sacred Sex: Rapture of the Deep. Durango: Kivakí Press, pp. 216 – 249. Theodore Roszak (2001) “Attending the Planet” in The Voice of the Earth: An Exploration of Ecopsychology. Grand Rapids: Phanes Press, Inc., pp. 306 – 317.

This week we examine the practical applications of Sustainability Ethics. Here you will be encouraged to seek answers to the following question: how do you nurture yourself, your home, your community, your world, so that ecological and societal health and wellbeing is preserved? Having pondered the ethical theories behind sustainability, we now step towards incorporating them into our daily lives through personal reflection.

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Week 13: Sustainability Ethics and International Development Readings:

Required: Maria Mies (1999) “The Myth of Catching-up Development” in Environmental Ethics, J. Desjardins (ed.). London: Mayfield, Part III (Policies and Controversies in Environmental Ethics) pp. 416 – 423. Peter Singer (2002) “A Changing World” in One World: The Ethics of Globalization. New Haven: Yale University Press: pp. 1 – 13. Recommended: Tom Athanasiou (1996) “Where Are We Now?” in Slow Reckoning: The Ecology of a Divided Planet. London: Secker & Warburg, pp. 3 – 20. Denis Goulet (1995) “Development Ethics and Ecological Wisdom” in Development Ethics: A Guide to Theory and Practice. London: Zed Books Limited, pp. 119 – 135. Ramachandra Guha and Juan Martinez-Alier (1997) Varieties of Environmentalism: Essays North and South. London: Earthscan Hans Küng ( 2003) “An Ethical Framework for the Global Market Economy” in Making Globalization Good: The Moral Challenges of Global Capitalism. John H. Dunning (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 145 – 158. E. F. Schumacher (1974) “Part III: The Third World” in Small is Beautiful. London: Abacus , pp. 157 - -214. Vandana Shiva (1992) “Recovering the Real Meaning of Sustainability” in The Environment in Question: Ethics and Global Issues, D. E. Cooper and J. A. Palmer (eds.). New York: Routledge, pp. 187 – 193.

Western international aid and development is imbued with good intentions that often struggle to bring about sustainable improvements to the lives of people and the quality of the environment throughout the non-Western world. While one hopes that future international development and overseas aid will become unnecessary and the resources currently dedicated to these endeavours can be redirected elsewhere, we are in reality far from that goal. Can Sustainability Ethics bring us closer to a world where justice and equality make the need for international aid and development redundant? Week 13 is dedicated to exploring this question.

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Week 14: Sustainability Ethics for Tomorrow: Being Hopeful Readings:

Required: Aidan Davison (2001) “Sustaining Technology”, in Technology and the Contested Meaning of Sustainability, Albany, New York: SUNY Press, pp. 199 – 213. Michael P. Nelson (1999) “Rethinking Wilderness: The Need for a New Idea of Wilderness” in Environmental Ethics, J. Desjardins (ed.), London: Mayfield, (Part III – Policies and Controversies in Environmental Ethics) pp. 366 – 370. Recommended: Yvonne Baskins (1997) The Work of Nature: How the Diversity of Life Sustains Us. Washington D.C.: Island Press. Nick Fotion and Jan C. Heller (eds.) (1997) Contingent Future Persons: On the Ethics of Deciding who will live, or not, in the future. Dordrecht; Boston: Kluwer Academic. John Lemons, Laura Westra and Robert Goodland (eds.) (1998) Ecological Sustainability and Integrity: Concepts and Approaches. Dordrecht; Boston: Kluwer Academic. David Mas Masumoto (1999) “ Learning to Fail” in At Home on the Earth: Becoming Native to Our Place. A Multicultural Anthology, D. L. Barnhill (ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 191 – 200.

With the sceptre of climate change looming, are we able to allow a shift in consciousness towards Sustainability Ethics that will assure social and environmental health for generations to come? Having completed the unit, we will hold a panel discussion on what sustainability ethics means for you and for the planet. We will also explore where we are likely to venture from here as a species and as a planet. This will be a celebratory week where we reflect on the impact of the unit material over refreshments. Bring some food or beverages to share!

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Appendix 7.

From: FDN150 Reinventing Australia External Student Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 08:37:34 +0900 To: "Paul M. Pulé" <[email protected]> Thanks Paul. After studying internally over ten years ago, the difference between the internal support and external support is significant. This is my third external unit this year and I must say it was a refreshing change to get some useful feedback with assignments as opposed to a couple of token comments (or none at all). I think you've done an excellent job as a tutor and hopefully you'll continue to do so for another intake or two of FDN students. Thanks again. FDN150 Reinventing Australia External Student

From: Paul M. Pulé [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, 3 December 2008 07:28 To: FDN150 Reinventing Australia External Student FDN150 External Students, The grades are finalised and all’s done from my end. I’d like to take a moment to wish you all well for the holidays and to thank you for the privilege of working with you throughout the semester. One request ... I’d very much appreciate you taking a moment to complete the unit evaluation when it arrives from External Studies – it should be arriving in the coming weeks. It will take only a few moments and is very helpful in refining the way the external unit is managed. We were an experiment in remote learning this semester as communication through the internet gains a more central role in distance learning so any feedback you have would be most welcomed. Warmly, Paul

From: STP Sustainability Ethics Internal Student Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 00:13:06 +0800 To: "Paul M. Pulé" <[email protected]> Subject: RE: With Thanks Paul, Thanks for those kind words. It is great to have a teacher who actually totally stands for what they preach.. You are so approachable and make everyone feel accepted despite ur obvious higher learning experience, most lecturers get an "academic" way of interacting. It is great to have someone so easy-going and familiar teach us about "big" issues.

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With many thanks, STP Sustainability Ethics Internal Student Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 14:57:07 +0800 Subject: With Thanks From: [email protected] To: STP Sustainability Ethics Internal Student Dear All, Now that the exam is in the past, the course is complete (I will be tending to your final grades in the coming week). It’s been an important aspect of my life being your unit coordinator for these past months. I am deeply appreciative to have had the privilege of coordinating STP 206/606. Through the course, and my desire to be here for each of you, I have been graced with the gift of having attention directed towards a project that is much greater than myself – namely supporting the growth of a sustainability ethics within each of you. The course has been my service to my community. Your presence has given me much in return, and for those gifts I extend to you my sincere thanks. While I am about to embark on an extended trip overseas, I will only be as far away as email, so please feel free to stay in touch. When I return to the ISTP later in the year you will be most welcomed to stop by for a catch-up in person as well. For those of you who have taken the time to complete the unit survey emailed to you – I send you my heartfelt thanks for your thoughtfulness and feedback. I’ll be taking your comments into consideration as I fine-tune Sustainability Ethics in the years ahead. For those of you yet to complete the Unit Survey – may I ask for you to take a few minutes to do so. The information we receive from you is invaluable. The TLC would have emailed the survey to you already. Let me know if you are needing another copy. May you go forth with new and renewed zest for yourselves as an intricate part of this beautiful planet, and carry with you my warm wishes in your every endeavour. For the Earth, Paul

Appendix 8.

Teaching Excellence Award Nomination (2005): From: Murdoch University School Official Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:53:33 +0800 To: "Paul M. Pulé" <[email protected]> Paul, Congratulations on your nomination and glad to see you will be applying. You are right, the Friday session is a repeat of Monday. At these sessions I will be outlining the submission process, so it would be good to start but hopefully you will also learn some things at the session to help you with your submission.

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See you Friday Murdoch University School Official

---------- From: Paul Pule Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 11:58 AM To: Murdoch University School Official Murdoch University School Official I received the information packet in regards to the teaching excellence awards. Thanks for that. Very encouraging and validating. Yup ... Will pursue the application process, so please do add me to the list of applicants - I'll attend the Friday 7th session (do I understand correctly that we are only to attend this workshop once and that the Monday option is a repeat of that on Friday). In the meantime I'll prepare the form and provide the six copies as requested. I'll be in touch if there are any questions that arise. Cheers, Paul

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Teaching Excellence Award Nomination (2009):

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Appendix 9. Results available upon request.

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Appendix 10. Message from an external student using the Murdoch University Online Chat service: Subject: Re: Research Proposal Topic: Main Author: Anonymous Date: 24 September 2008 12:55 PM Email Paul and ask him - he's very approachable and easy to deal with - you should have gotten an in intro email from him with his contact details.

teaching portfolio 20090723 · statement of school/departmental expectations and resources murdoch...

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