Grassroots Perspectives on Sustainable Development
Whose sustainability is threatened now, and why does it matter? How do the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 perpetuate existing power asymmetries that hurt marginalized people and block systemic transformation? We will review the rise of “sustainable development’ and the major emphases of sustainability science to assess whether they are addressing the needs of marginalized people. Then we will examine resistance to neoliberalism and the articulation of alternatives to it from social movements, advocacy, and other approaches. Are alternatives arising that offer radically different and more sustainable patterns of production and consumption to meet life needs? 3 hrs. lect.