Overview
This course will open on April 11th. Registration will be available April 4th.
The World We Live In - Systems Change for a Finite Planet is a self-directed micro-course designed to attract and assist graduate learners, researchers, and change makers from across disciplines to be engaged global citizens by better understanding the actors, obstacles, and enabling processes involved in transition and systems change. The approach we take is systemic, integrative, holistic, transdisciplinary, and transformational.
In this course, we introduce the core features of neoliberalism, the dominant form of capitalism over the last four decades, and its critics. We explore the impact of neoliberal ideology on rising socio-economic inequality, declining democratic governance, and ecological risks for all life.
Our goal is not only to enlarge your understanding of system change but to introduce participants to people and institutions that organize at different systems levels – from local to global. Each seeks to put in place alternatives, large and small, that elevate the common good to central priority—ecologically, socially, culturally, and economically. Each approach creates different implications for how we generate whole systems change. Pay close attention to how change-makers are blending economic democracy, ecological sustainability, and social justice as core elements in a transformative vision for systems change.
Course Requirements
- No prior experience is required
- To receive the course badge, ensure you complete at least three out of four posts/reflection exercises indicated at the end of each unit.
- Familiarize yourself with the theories, concepts, and processes involved in addressing socio-economic inequality, democratic governance, and ecological risks.
- Explain key concepts related to neoliberalism, civil economy, systems change thinking, economic democracy, and the social/solidarity economy for transition thinking and climate change politics.
- Engage with a community of practitioners and researchers working on global socio-economic transition and systems change.
- Exchange ideas and actions with peers doing similar work in Canada and worldwide.
- Reflect on basic concepts of the course on issues applicable to participants’ professional practice and/or a disciplinary field.
How It Works
Course Access
90 days
Effort
6-8 hours of study
Delivery
Online, On-Demand
Instruction
Self-paced
Cost
$150.00
This course provides participants with essential tools for understanding the crisis points of the world we live in and the ways in which new ways of thinking and acting can affect the kinds of systemic change we seek.
If you are concerned about the vital issues of the world we live in and seek to understand both the root causes of the crisis we face and the alternatives that we can use to address it, this introductory course drawing on a variety of disciplines and perspectives, is for you.
John Restakis
John Restakis is Sessional Instructor on Alternative Economies for Social Change at the University of Victoria. He is former Executive Director of Community Evolution Foundation and the BC Co-operative Association, both based in Vancouver. He is also Co-founder of Synergia Co-operative Institute.
His professional background includes community organizing, adult and popular education, and co-op development. John consults on international co-op and community economic development projects, researches and teaches on co-operative economies and the social economy, and lectures widely about globalization, regional development, and co-operative systems change.
He is the author of Humanizing the Economy – Co-operatives in the Age of Capital (2010) and Civilizing the State – Reclaiming Politics for the Common Good (2022).
Meenal Shrivastava
Meenal Shrivastava is Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Political Economy and Global Studies at Athabasca University, Canada. Her academic research explores the complex concept of ‘globalization’ as a description, a process, as well as an ideology. In particular, she examines the drivers and manifestations of globalization, and their impact on the institutions and practices of democracy, especially in the context of the widening gulf between the peoples and the states. Her publications, courses, and public lectures cover themes as varied as aspects of democracy, public policy, development studies, global history, women/gender studies, and disciplinary building blocks, connected to the central thread of the political economy of our relentlessly globalizing world. Her research on these political economic processes has so far led to more than one hundred and fifty publications, including three books. Currently, aside from serving on several professional and editorial boards, she has been learning to use creative relational stories as a methodology of research and dissemination to illustrate how individual lives intersect with broad social-political trends, and why it matters.
Course FAQs
Is this an instructor-led course?
This course is designed to be self-paced with all materials you need for successful completion contained within the learning platform. The course has been designed by subject matter experts and includes interviews with leading experts, aligned to the course outcomes. The course is an immersive experience that includes a mix of content including video introductions and video content, impactful readings, learning checks, and interactive elements – all which can be completed at your own pace.
How much time will I need to spend?
Each course will require 6-8 hours to complete. You will have 90 days access from the time of registration to complete the course. After 90 days, the course will be closed.
Do I have to be online at a certain time of day?
No, you do not have to be online at a specific time. You complete the coursework at the times and places that fits your schedule. Each course is designed for working professionals who are balancing their work, family and community commitments.
When do I start?
You can start the course as soon as you register! You will automatically be directed to the interactive learning environment.
How long will I have access to the course?
You will have 90 days from the time of registration to complete the course.
What is the refund policy?
No refunds will be issued for courses. Refunds may be considered under exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Please contact powered@athabascau.ca for more information.
Are there tests or quizzes involved?
There will be activities, assignments, and short quizzes within the course to ensure you understand the content. All quizzes are designed to be accessible and easy to complete by engaging in the course content. Within each module, you will have the answers to each evaluation.
What are the computer requirements for this course?
You should have access to a Mac, PC, or tablet with an Internet connection, with Safari, Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Firefox as a browser. Here is a link that outlines browser support:
https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/brightspace/requirements/all/browser_support.htm
For virtual sessions:
- Speakers/headphones
- Web camera and microphone
Learners that want to use their smart phone to access the courses can also download the D2L Pulse App for free to access the course available on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.d2l.brightspace.student.android&hl=en_CA
Or the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/brightspace-pulse/id1001688546
Does this course have prerequisites?
This course does not have a required prerequisite.
Who do I contact if I need help?
You can contact powered@athabascau.ca for assistance with any questions you may have. We are here to help!