Klaus Theo Seeland: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2015 |
| Name | Prof. Dr. Klaus Theo Seeland (Professor Universität Konstanz) |
| seeland@retired.ethz.ch | |
| Department | Environmental Systems Science |
| Relationship | Lecturer |
| Number | Title | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 701-0658-00L | Seminar for Bachelor Students: Anthroposphere | 2 credits | 2S | K. T. Seeland, S. Engel, M. Siegrist | |
| Abstract | Analysis and presentation of scientific articles in the domain of Human Environment Systems with focus on the relevant methods and theories. Skills in literature research concerning a given topic in the ISI Web of Knowledge. | ||||
| Learning objective | The sudents have to read current scientific articles on research issues in the field of Human-Environment-Relations and to learn to understand them, to present them in a summarized form, to document the most important points (including methods), to search for publications in the web of knowledge (ISI) and to give a constructive critical assessment of them. | ||||
| Content | Das Forschungsfeld Mensch-Umwelt Beziehung ist gekennzeichnet durch eine grosse Themen- und Methodenvielfalt. Dies kommt unter anderem in den wissenschaftlichen Beiträgen der an der Veranstaltung beteiligten Professuren zum Ausdruck. Die Studierenden wählen aus einem breiten Angebot eine wissenschaftliche Publikation aus und referieren darüber im Seminar (s.o. link). Erwartet wird insbesondere das Herausarbeiten der Fragestellung, die Beschreibung der gewählten Methode, die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse des Beitrages sowie offene Fragen bzw. zukünftige Forschungsfragen. Zusätzlich zum verarbeiteten Artikel sollen zwei weitere Publikation aus dem ISI Web of Knowledge zum gleichen Thema recherchiert und zum präsentierten Artikel in Bezug gesetzt werden. Durch Teilnahme an der Diskussion der präsentierten Artikel wird zudem das Stellen und Beantworten von Fragen zur Präsentation geübt. | ||||
| Lecture notes | keines | ||||
| Literature | Es wird eine Liste von Publikationen aus den an der Veranstaltung beiteiligten Professuren abgegeben. | ||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Als Sprache ist D zugelassen; der Bericht umfasst ca. 6 Seiten. | ||||
| 701-0729-00L | Social Research Methods  | 2 credits | 2G | M. Stauffacher, C. Hartmann, K. T. Seeland | |
| Abstract | This course covers the basic methodological principles of social-scientific research, and provides an insight into its underlying theoretical and methodological rationale and its concrete procedures. Methods and concepts are primarily demonstrated in the context of questionnaire research. Exercises deepen the knowledge gained in the course. | ||||
| Learning objective | Students are able to - describe the significance of method-supported procedures in the social sciences. - explain the basic principles of social-scientific research. - critically interpret the results of social-scientific research . - look for scientific literature. - conduct small-scale surveys via questionnaires. | ||||
| Content | Alle Teilnehmenden verpflichten sich zur aktiven Mitarbeit in Form von Übungen (Literatursuche, Erstellung von Fragebogen, Auswertung von Daten). Inhaltsübersicht: (1) Wozu empirische (Sozial-)Forschung? (2) Der Forschungsablauf im Überblick (3) Forschung planen (Fragestellung – Hypothesen – Design) (4) Daten erheben (Fragebogenerstellung – Stichprobe – Durchführung) (5) Daten auswerten (Datenkontrolle – Deskription) (6) Erhaltene Resultate präsentieren (Grafiken – Tabellen) | ||||
| Lecture notes | Die Dozenten arbeiten mit Folien, die als Handout abgegeben werden. | ||||
| Literature | Zur ergänzenden Begleitlektüre kann folgendes Buch empfohlen werden: Schutt, R.K. (2006). Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research, 5th ed. Pine Forge Press: Thousand Oaks, CA | ||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | For English speaking MSc students, a special program is offered. Please contact Michael Stauffacher directly (michael.stauffacher@env.ethz.ch) | ||||
| 701-0792-00L | Forests and Landscape as Social Representations | 2 credits | 1V | K. T. Seeland | |
| Abstract | This seminar introduces to the cultural and historical foundations of forests and landscapes. In case studies the interaction between and social phenomena and forests and landscapes are analysed with the help of various theories and methods. Historical and contemporary examples of social representations in European and Non-European cultures are looked at in view of sustainable management. | ||||
| Learning objective | This seminar aims at detecting and documenting phenomena with relevance to forests and landscapes as far as their cultural and historical foundations are concerned. From the perspectives of different scientific disciplines and the application of distinct theories and methods a multidisciplinary approach to an interpretation of the social conditions of human shaped natural spaces will be applied. Thus the sudents will be enabled to read and interpret the social core of forests and landscapes and to formulate and enact adequate planning and decision making for the future. | ||||
| Content | This seminar will tackle forests and landscapes as designed forms of culture and society in the past, present and future. It includes historical analyses with theories and methods of the social sciences as well as technically oriented approaches. Focal points of this multidisciplinary approach to forests and landscapes will be: - social classes and their usage of space - Technological development and their impact on forest and landscape - Forest and Landscape design as timebound phenomena - affinities between natural and social formations - political processes of planning and decisionmaking on forests & landscapes - cultural factors of forests and landscapes - socially conditioned perception and transformations of forest and landscapes | ||||
| Lecture notes | Will be worked on sucessively and distrbuted to the sudents. | ||||
| Literature | Scientific literature will be made available online. | ||||
| 701-1512-00L | HES Systems 1 - Individual and Organizational Interactions with Environmental Systems | 3 credits | 2V | O. van Vliet, A. Patt, K. T. Seeland, M. Siegrist | |
| Abstract | This lecture provides the students with an in depth understanding of different theoretical approaches to understand and influence individual and organizational interactions with the environment. The theories are exemplified using case studies of actual problems in human-environment systems | ||||
| Learning objective | - Getting an in-depth insight into current theoretical approaches to understand individual and organizational interactions with the environment - Understanding the advantages and shortcomings of the different approaches as well as their potential synergies and inconsistencies - Being able to apply these theoretical approaches to better understand actual problems in human environment systems - Deriving strategic orientations for approaching problems in human environment systems on the basis of the presented theories | ||||
| Content | Students who participate in this seminar/lecture learn how to conceptualize and to investigate human-environment systems. The lecture includes three main parts: Part 1: An introduction into how to define environment of human systems and how to conceptualize human-environment systems on different levels, namely the individual, the group, the organization (companies, NGO), institutions (states, agencies, ministries), societies (including governments) and supranational systems. Part 2: The second part deals with an in-depth look into five scientific fields: a) one natural science: biology, b) three social sciences: psychology, sociology and economics, c) one engineering science: industrial ecology, which have to be used when conceptualizing human-environment systems. You will in particularly learn what different rationales are at work at the different hierarchy levels of human-environment systems and what you can learn from different social sciences disciplines. Part 3: Each student has to design a research plan for an "own research project" (for instance a master thesis) in the domain of environmental and sustainability sciences. The students will learn how to develop and substantiate hypotheses for this research plan referring to salient theories and approaches provided by the disciplines introduced in part 2 of the lecture. | ||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts provided in the lecture | ||||