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Unit of Study SOC10236 - Applied Ethics and Sustainability (2014)

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Unit Snapshot

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Unit description

The influence of culture and society on the creation of knowledge, truth and morality provide the foundation to explore a broad range of ethical theories. These theories are applied to diverse contemporary issues including human rights and corporate governance. The unit explores the ethical roots of the ecological crisis and examines the contribution of the sustainability concept to the search for a solution.

Unit content

Introduction 
Case study - Interface & sustainable business 
Culture and ethics: Case study - Traidcraft as an ethical organisation 
Consequential ethical theories: Case study - Supersize me 
Non-consequential ethical theories: Case study - Enron 
Applied business ethics: Case studies - Shell Oil in Nigeria, Enron 
Environmental ethics: Case study - Ethical agriculture
Sustainability & environment: Case study - Rocky Mountain Institute 
Social & cultural sustainability: Case study - Learning from Ladakh
Economic sustainability: Case study - Guitang Sugar
Sustainable organisations: Case Study - Coopers Brewery
Contemporary ethical & global sustainability issues: Case Studies - Danone, Homeless World Cup
A global sustainable society: Case Study - Gross National Happiness in Bhutan

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour Session 2 Session 2
Gold Coast Session 2 Session 2
Lismore Session 2 Session 2
Online Session 2 Session 2
Papua New Guinea - IBSU Port Moresby N/A Session 2
Sydney N/A Session 2

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 describe major ethics and sustainability tools and concepts
2 utilise critical reasoning skills to identify solutions to ethical problems
3 examine sustainability policy and practice at multiple levels
4 evaluate the social, environmental and economic impact of business on stakeholders
5 explain the importance of diverse cultural influences to ethics and sustainability
6 analyse contemporary global ethical and sustainability issues.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. describe major ethics and sustainability tools and concepts
    • GA3:
  2. utilise critical reasoning skills to identify solutions to ethical problems
    • GA1:
  3. examine sustainability policy and practice at multiple levels
    • GA4:
  4. evaluate the social, environmental and economic impact of business on stakeholders
    • GA4:
  5. explain the importance of diverse cultural influences to ethics and sustainability
    • GA7:
  6. analyse contemporary global ethical and sustainability issues.
    • GA3:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.