Professional course Creating Sustainable Behaviour Change

Content

What do I get out of it?

By the end of the module the student should be able to:

• Critically discuss the philosophical, ethical and ideological underpinnings of current discourse on behaviour change.
• Critically discuss a range of theoretical approaches to understanding the drivers for human behaviour, including economic, psychological and sociological approaches.
• Critically discuss and evaluate a range of behaviour change models, interventions and policy-based initiatives applied to issues of sustainability, and develop implications for policy, practice and research.
• Make critical use of relevant theoretical frameworks and concepts in the planning and implementation of behaviour change interventions.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how behaviour change interventions can be evaluated and measured.

What does it cover?

This course is structured around three themes:

Perspectives on individual and community change: This topic examines some of the main theories and models that attempt to understand behaviour change from the perspective of social psychology.  Theories and models including Social Cognitive Theory, Self-efficacy model, Health Belief Model, Theory of reasoned action, Theory of planned behaviour and the Transtheoretical model (Stage of Change) will be introduced and analysed through examples and case studies to give insight into their strengths and limitations in practice.  Practical sessions will give students hands-on experience of designing theory-driven interventions for pro-sustainability behaviour change.

Wider social and political perspectives on "behaviour change": This topic will introduce students to a range of different perspectives on behaviour change and the potential that they offer for designing effective solutions to the challenge of creating wide-scale social change in relation to sustainability. Students will be introduced to approaches to behaviour change that are underpinned by behavioural economics.  As part of this Students will consider how such approaches (including the popularised 'Nudge thesis') have influenced policies developed by the UK government's Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights team. Such approaches will be critically compared with alternative sociological perspectives that attempt to understand behaviour as the manifestation of underlying 'social practices'. This topic will also look at  social marketing and the debates that surround the influence of this field on understanding behaviour change.

Integrated and non-mainstream approaches to "behaviour change": This topic introduces a further layer of perspectives on the subject of behaviour change. The topic starts with a session focused on the role of emotions and unconsciousness - both at individual and collective levels and how this may help us understand, for example, such phenomenon as climate change denial. We will then consider 'values and frames', a contemporary and increasingly influential approach to addressing action on sustainability. This topic concludes with a workshop on the vices and virtues of adopting an integrated approach to the field.

Each of these themes are taught by a team of expert practitioners in the field, thereby ensuring students benefit from both theoretical and practice-based insights.

Learning and Teaching

The courses are taught through a mixture of face-to-face and independent learning, comprising weekly lectures, workshops and group discussion. 

The pattern of contact sessions (five continuous Fridays, all day) is highly accessible for those who wish to study part-time.

This is a highly participative course. Delivery methods are primarily experiential and participant centred, engaging you in practical exercises, personal study, and critical reflection upon the relationship between theory and practice.

Study time

The course is structured around five contact days, which take place on consecutive weeks.

You will undertake a significant amount of directed and independent study between and after the contact sessions. To complete the course and assessment (if taken), we recommend students allocate approximately 150 hours including taught sessions and personal study time. This is only a guideline and will depend on the participants' motivation and learning abilities

Assessment

Participants who wish to receive credit for their learning can undertake the assessed project at the end of the course. On successful completion, the course credits may then be used towards one of our postgraduate qualifications in Sustainable Development in Practice

You may also use the credit towards one of UWE Bristol's postgraduate qualifications in Integrated Professional Development.

To achieve accreditation for this module, you will need to successfully complete a project in which you apply different perspectives on behaviour change to explain or account for the sustainability issue, and inform practical approaches to address the sustainability issue.

Formative assessment will be carried out throughout the course by setting regular tasks for students that will assess their grasp of the material covered. Tasks will be reviewed as part of the sessions.