NIFK14029U Motivation and Pro-Environmental Behaviour - Managing Change
MSc Programme in Climate Change
MSc Programme in Forest and Nature Management
MSc Programme in Nature Management
This course focuses on ways to understand behavior and motivate change toward pro-environmental behaviours.
Meaningful action to redress the ecological crises of our times will require the support and participation of the public, acting collectively toward localized and systemic change. This course explores how individuals and social groups, as consumers/producers, and as members of various communities, may be motivated toward pro-environmentally behavior (PEB). PEB looks like many things including: reduced energy consumption, agroecological pest management, the use of bicycles or public transport, reuse, repair, and upcycling, collective living, shopping organic and local, and participation in social/political movements. Beyond a focus on ‘regular people’, students may also consider how relatively powerful actors such as political leaders or industry executives may be motivated toward pro-environmental behaviour and policy change.
The course builds on theories about motivation and behaviour,
theories of change, real life cases and practical tools to initiate
and sustain behavioural change among individuals, groups, and
organisations.
Motivation and behaviour theories span studies of specific,
individual behaviour (e.g. Theory of Planned Behaviour, various
cognitive biases), to macro level studies of how behaviour is
shaped by structural factors like infrastructure, technology,
economy, public discourse, media debate, and gender norms.
Some theories and analytical frameworks assume that human behaviour
is guided by economic / individualistic logics; some consider
rationality to be value-driven and include broader communal and
societal interests. Some theories and approaches focus on habits,
emotions, embedded practices, the nature of narratively
framing problems and solutions, and power dynamics as key
entry points for change-making.
Actual interventions will be showcased throughout, such
as political and grassroots campaigns, public sector
interventions, community initiatives, and more. Based on real-life
cases from public, non-profit and private organisations engaged at
various levels (municipal, national, global) on environmental
issues and management, students will learn to apply these theories
in the real world and become better equipped as citizens and future
policy makers and policy influencers, to formulate intervention
strategies to achieve desired changes. Students are also expected
to consider the implications of behavioural theories on policy
practice. How do the different ways we look upon human behaviour,
enable or limit what becomes possible in relation to environmental
behavioural change? We will also explore the effects, both intended
and unintended, of various change-making strategies, by considering
the socio-ecological justice implications of particular change
strategies in practice. Throughout, we will keep in mind where
precisely all these change strategies are taking us, and how they
relate to our desired futures.
The aim of this course is to provide students with skills to
understand, analyse and conduct change processes aimed at enhancing
environmentally friendly behaviour. This is done by introducing
students to a set of theoretical approaches to study motivation,
behaviour, and behavioural change, and to enable students to apply
these in their own work.
Based on the course, it is expected that the student can
Knowledge:
- understand and describe a set of theories of motivation and
behaviour
- understand and describe selected theories of individual,
collective and structural change
Skills:
- apply relevant behavioural theory to environmental cases, be it
national park management, transport behaviour, recycling, energy
and food consumption or private land management.
- suggest strategies and actions to enhance environmentally
friendly behaviour in selected cases
Competencies:
- critically discuss opportunities and limitations to behavioural
change in light of overarching political, legal, and
structural conditions.
The course will be based on scientific articles and key references on 1) motivation and behaviour theory, and 2) strategies and tools for management of change in organizations and communities.
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 40
- Class Instruction
- 16
- Preparation
- 78
- Theory exercises
- 64
- Excursions
- 8
- Total
- 206
Group work that takes place throughout the course is a key place for feedback from both lecturers and student peers.
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Oral examination, 20 minutes
- Type of assessment details
- 20 minutes. No time for preparation.
- Aid
- Without aids
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners
- Re-exam
Same as ordinary exam.
Criteria for exam assesment
See the criteria for Learning outcome
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NIFK14029U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedule
- B
- Course capacity
- 75
The number of seats may be reduced in the late registration period
Study board
- Study Board of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Science
Contracting departments
- Department of Food and Resource Economics
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinators
- Rebecca Leigh Rutt (3-827c82507976827f3e7b853e747b)
- Lise Byskov Herslund (4-7c7978755079777e3e7b853e747b)