This unit will introduce students to the evidence and scholarship that recognises limits - limits to human population growth, resource use, economic growth, pollution, climate and the concept of existential risk. This is a 21st century Public Health challenge and it is important that graduates can work within frameworks of sustainability. However, we are still learning how to do this, and existing approaches are not guaranteed success so it's important that students understand and critique these. Importantly the unit seeks to understand public health consequences of different development trajectories. The unit includes an examination of population policies and rights-based reproductive health and family planning, issues which which may be politically sensitive but have profound impact on health and wellbeing. It applies the theoretical learning to the local context to critique sustainability transitions and public health consequences of current policy.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Apply an integrated understanding of models developed to understand, and convergent thinking on healthy and sustainable people and planet;
2. Apply key concepts relating to people (population) and planet, such as the ecological footprint, human carrying capacity and planetary boundaries and major determinants and consequences of human population change;
3. Critically analyse metrics, measurement techniques and frameworks used in examining health, wellbeing and (sustainable) development; and
4. Evaluate public health consequences of policy, programs and community effort to achieve sustainability transitions.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas

Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

10061 Limits to Growth PG

Assumed knowledge

None.