URS-5070: Science & Systems Thinking

The catastrophic collapse of biological and cultural diversity at the hands of economic systems rooted in the exploitation of land, labor and life represents the existential threat to ever increasing numbers of human communities and all life as we know it. To address the scale, pace and implications of this crisis of nested crises demands unprecedented reservoirs of human creativity, divergent thinking and empathy as well as a heightened tolerance for complexity. Key to this endeavor is our ability to increase our understanding of earth systems through humble, reverential observation, and to draw lessons for sustainability in the urban context and in the context of urbanity from diverse perspectives. This course brings together diverse ecological perspectives rooted in the lived experience of indigenous and aboriginal peoples (Traditional Ecological Knowledge) with Western approaches to earth systems science and ecology (what Vandana Shiva refers to as, “New Ecological Knowledge”) and Systems Thinking, which considers not objects, elements and parts; but the complex relationships that create the whole. Coupled with a deep practice of collaborative experimentation, diverse sciences and ecosystems thinking can help us get better at learning so that we can build more effective frameworks and strategies for solving our most intransigent challenges.
Min. Credits: 3.0
Credit Basis: Semester credit
Location(s): Antioch Univ Los Angeles
Method(s): Classroom,Online Meeting (synchronous),Online (asynchronous)
Faculty Consent Required: N
Program Approval Required: N
Course Type Environmental Studies and Sustainability

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URS-5070: Science & Systems Thinking