Climate Sociology
Tim Immerzeel, Department Sociology, Utrecht University: ‘In this national minor Climate Sociology you’ll get a rich and deepening understanding of sociological perspectives on climate change and environmental crises.’
‘How is it possible that threads of the impact of climate change appear huge, while still limited action is taken to counteract climate change?’ This paradox is a complex question that asks for sociological research. Namely, sociology shifts the focus from individual level-approaches and pays attention to how institutions, organizations, culture and political power contribute to the influence and (unequal) consequences of climate change.
With this national minor in Climate Sociology you gain theoretical insights in understanding and answering the paradox. In addition, you attain the skills and knowledge to accelerate the societal transition needed to address climate change. These are ambitious learning goals that can only be achieved if the sociology-departments across the Netherlands work together. The involvement of 7 Dutch universities allows you to take advantage of the diverse perspectives and expertise available in Dutch sociology to approach this major socio-ecological problem. You learn sociological theory and research and apply this knowledge in various contexts. As such, you develop a strong disciplinary basis that prepares you for an increasingly sustainability-oriented future labor market.
In the different universities, you will find different types of courses: (1) sociological theoretical courses; and (2) applied societal transition courses. The first courses deal with, for example, the importance of social movements in climate policies/politics and understanding why certain cultural groups deny climate change. The second group of courses enable you to apply sociological research to, for example, accelerating a fair and climate just energy transition in a specific neighborhood or to writing a policy proposal to reduce meat consumption in a hospital. Given the disciplinary nature of the minor, the minor will be considerably deepening. You follow at least three courses to obtain a minor certificate of the NSV (the Dutch Sociological Association).
Study programme
To obtain the certificate for this minor from the Nederlandse Sociologische Vereniging (NSV), you will need to pass a minimum of 3 courses. There are no obligatory courses. You can choose 3 or more out of the following courses (per course it is indicated whether you have the option to obtain either 6 or 7,5 EC).
What’s holding us back? Three sociological answers to why addressing climate change is complex (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen - RUG)
- Block: 1
- EC: 6 or 7,5
- Contact person: Jacob Dijkstra (j.dijkstra@rug.nl)
- Registration period: before 1 August 2024
- Registration procedure
- RUG students: apply through your own registration system
- Non-RUG students: visit the subsidiary courses page
- Course catalog
Political sociology of environmental crises (Utrecht University - UU)
- Block: 2
- EC: 7,5
- Contact person: Wojtek Przepiorka (w.przepiorka@uu.nl)
- Registration period: 03-06-2024 / 21-06-2024
- Registration procedure:
- UU students: register via OSIRIS Student
- Non-UU students: enrol through our application form at OSIRIS Online Application (visit the subsidiary courses page)
- Course catalog
Environment and society (Universiteit van Amsterdam - UvA)
- Block: 2
- EC: 6
- Contact person: Catherine Wong (m.l.wong@uva.nl)
- Registration period: 10-06-2024 / 17-06-2024
- Registration procedure:
- UvA students: apply through your own registration system
- Non-UvA students: visit the subsidiary courses page
- Course catalog
Climate sociologies of the everyday: food, energy, tourism and migration (Wageningen University and Research - WUR)
- Block: 3
- EC: 6
- Contact person: Machiel Lamers (machiel.lamers@wur.nl)
- Registration period: before 17 November 2024
- Registration procedure:
- WUR students: apply through your own registration system
- Non-WUR students: visit the subsidiary courses page
- Course catalog
A cultural sociological approach to climate change (Tilburg University - UvT)
- Block: 3
- EC: 6 or 7,5
- Contact person: Peter Achterberg (p.achterberg@tilburguniversity.edu)
- Registration period: before 01-02-2025
- Registration procedure:
- UvT students: apply through your own registration system
- Non-UvT students: visit the subsidiary courses page.
- Course catalog
Improving planetary health: A learning lab for social-entrepreneurship (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - VU)
- Block: 5
- EC: 6 or 7,5
- Contact person for this course: Seda Yalcin (seda.yalcin@vu.nl)
- Registration period: 09-12-2024 / 17-02-2025
- Registration procedure:
- VU students: apply through your own registration system. In case you applied earlier for another SS4S-course (‘AI&Society’ or ‘The Human Dimension of Sustainable Development’): please contact contact.fsw@vu.nl
- Non-VU students: visit the subsidiary courses page for more information. We advise to apply for this course in December or January. For questions: please contact toelating.fsw@vu.nl
- Course catalog
Climate change and inequality (Radboud University Nijmegen - RU)
- Block: 4
- EC: 6 or 7,5
- Contact person for this course: Klara Raiber (klara.raiber@ru.nl)
- Registration period: before 01-12-2024
- Registration procedure:
- RU students: apply through your own registration system
- Non-RU students: visit the subsidiary courses page for more information.
- Course catalog
Important information
Student profile
In the academic year 2024-2025, only sociology-students will be admitted to the minor (this is a pilot-year). The minor offers valuable background knowledge and depth to any bachelor programme, also (and especially) for sociology-students. In addition, this minor is an ideal preparation for master-programmes addressing the relationship between social sciences and climate change and environmental crises.
Since this minor is in English, English proficiency is recommended.
Entrance requirements
This Minor is solely intended for students that are enrolled in a Sociology bachelor at a Dutch university and in Wageningen for students enrolled in the bachelor programs: International Development, Tourism, Communication and Life sciences, Health and Society, Consumption and Healthy Lifestyles.
Application and enrolment
- You will need to register for this minor at the official application website.
- Since all universities have different registration periods and procedures, you will also need to apply for each course individually.
- Under each course mentioned above, you can find the concerned information per course.
For 2024-2025, this minor starts out as a pilot. Please note that you will receive a certificate from the Nederlandse Sociologische Vereniging (NSV) upon completing this minor, and that the name of the minor will not appear on your diploma supplement. You will need to request the certificate yourself.
Once you have passed 3 or more courses from this minor, you can request your certificate from NSV. To do so, you will need to ask all universities to send certified proof/a certificate of the courses obtained to climatesociology-minor@uu.nl. This has to be sent directly by the concerning university, not by the student.
Take into account that courses can vary in ECs rewarded. To fulfill the minor requirements, you can choose any 3 you like; it does not matter how much EC they are. For graduating at your own university, make sure you fulfill their requirements. For questions or study planning, contact your own universities’ study advisor.
The scheduling of the semesters is not the same at every university: be aware of this! The courses are planned so that they can be taken concurrently within the minor (the course days of, for example, Groningen, Utrecht, and UvA do not overlap).
Contact
For content-related questions on the minor or questions on certificates, please email the coordinator of the minor Tim Immerzeel at climatesociology-minor@uu.nl.
If you have questions on the courses itself, please see the contact information per course above.