How does this course work?
-    This course includes a lecture and a section. While the lecture is the same for everyone, several sections on different topics are available. Choose the section that best matches your interests. You must register for a section before the start of the course, and this choice cannot be changed later.
-    Videos about the content of the sections are available on our Instagram account zuwi_va.

Title
-    Lecture title: Sustainable Economics
-    Section title: Perspectives from the Global South: Latin American Indigenous Peoples and the Challenges of Economic Development

Instructors
-    Lecture instructor: Prof. Jonas Bunte
-    Section instructor: Anibal Galvez Rivas

Language
-    Lecture language: German
-    Section language: English

Topics
-    Topics of the lecture:
The lectures in this course explore possible explanations for the decisions made by three types of actors: businesses, citizens, and politicians. How do businesses make decisions? For example, why do some businesses behave more ethically and environmentally consciously than others? Or why do some businesses engage in more lobbying than others? How do citizens make decisions? For example, why do we sometimes act rationally but other times not? Or why are some social movements successful while others are not? How do politicians make decisions? For example, why do some politicians act based on their convictions while others behave opportunistically? Or why do some politicians appear more competent than others?

-    Topics of the section: 
This section explores the complex relationship between indigenous communities in Latin America and economic development models from a Global South perspective. The course examines how indigenous peoples navigate and challenge dominant socioeconomic paradigms while asserting their rights and worldviews. We begin by exploring indigenous identity in Latin America, analyzing their distinctive relationship with land and natural resources. We then focus on key socioeconomic challenges facing these communities, including conflicts over land rights in contexts of expanding extractive industries, significant cases from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the particular vulnerability of voluntarily isolated indigenous peoples facing economic pressures on their territories. Throughout the course, we examine how indigenous communities resist, adapt to, and propose alternatives to conventional economic development models, creating tensions and opportunities in the interactions between indigenous communities, corporations, and state actors. 

-    Actors and areas of this section: 
Citizens & Society as well as Politicians & Globalization.

Upon completing the course, students will have developed a solid understanding of the core topics within the Department of Socioeconomics, particularly regarding the environmental and climate crisis, globalization, inequality, and democracy. To achieve this, the course pursues three objectives:

1. Critically examine the fundamental assumptions of economic models. Are businesses truly only driven by profit, or are there other motivations? Are humans genuinely rational with fixed, exogenous preferences? Students will gain insights into the implications if such assumptions do not hold.
2. Develop and compare possible explanations. How can we explain situations where actors make different decisions despite similar circumstances? Students will learn to derive potential explanations for these puzzles, becoming familiar with various disciplinary approaches (political science, sociology, geography, history, law, and economics).
3. Explore implications for the future. Students will analyze how these insights shape the various options available to them. What do these findings imply for our future? What can we do to address current challenges?

Lecture
Attendance at the lectures is strongly recommended but not mandatory. If a lecture is missed, no explanation or excuse is required.

Section
Attendance in the sections is mandatory. This requirement is considered fulfilled if no more than one of the seven section sessions is missed. Absences known in advance must be communicated to the section instructor via email. An absence due to health reasons (e.g., accident or illness) will not count as an absence if a doctor’s note is provided. There are no make-up assignments for missed activities. Further details regarding attendance requirements will be explained during the first session of the section.

Lecture
The pedagogical approach of the lecture is designed to actively engage students. The lectures are therefore dynamic and include a mix of presentations, interactive exercises, and relevant case studies. Lectures are conducted in German.

Section
This section uses a mixed methodological approach combining brief theoretical presentations with interactive discussions. Each session begins with the instructor introducing key concepts and contextual information about indigenous communities in Latin America, followed by guided discussions based on assigned readings. Students engage with real-world case studies from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and contemporary conflicts between indigenous communities and development projects. The course incorporates documentary excerpts and visual materials to enhance understanding of indigenous territories and experiences, while encouraging critical reflection on dominant economic paradigms and their implications for indigenous rights.

Additional Resources
-    Instagram Account: zuwi_va
-    Youtube Account: zuwi_va
-    ZuWi_VA Kurs-Website 

Assessment

• Lecture: A total of 25 points + 4 bonus points
  o    25 points: Final exam 
  o    4 bonus points: Details will be explained during the lecture
• Section: A total of 75 points 
  o    25 points: Participation 
  o    50 points from two of the following three options, as determined by the section instructor:
      25 points: Creative project
      25 points: Written assignment
      25 points: Exam with open-ended questions

Final Grade
Students can earn a maximum of 104 points in the course, with a minimum of 60 points required to pass. The grading scale is as follows: scores between 60 and 69.9 result in a grade of "4," scores between 70 and 79.9 correspond to a grade of "3," scores between 80 and 89.9 earn a grade of "2," and scores between 90 and above receive a grade of "1."

Details of the Final Exam for the Lecture

• Date: 29. Jänner 2026
  o    The exam takes place during the Main Examination Week. The exam date is fixed and cannot be rescheduled.
  o    The exam will be conducted online on LEARN.  
  o    The duration of the exam is 60 minutes.
• Registration
  o    No separate registration is required. Students are automatically registered for the final exam upon enrolling in the course.  
• Rules
  o    If participation in this session is not possible due to verifiable and serious reasons (e.g., illness, accident, death in the family), a make-up attempt during the next main examination week is allowed. Please send a (medical) certificate to your section instructor so they can register you for the next examination week.
• Content
  o    The final exam will cover only the topics from the lecture, not the sections.

Course Requirements
Students must register for the course via LPIS. 
The topics of the available sections varies. For this reason, students are advised to carefully review the information about each section in the course catalogue before making their choice. Select the section that best aligns with your interests, as switching between sections during the semester is not permitted. 
It is expected that students enroll in “ZuWi Vertiefung & Anwendung” immediately after completing the STEOP course “Volkswirtschaftslehre und Zukunftsfähiges Wirtschaften” rather than delaying for several semesters.

Waitlist
Enrollment during the registration period is on a “first come, first served” basis, with 20 spots initially available per section. Any additional registrations will be placed on a waitlist.
After the registration period ends, the capacity of each section will be increased to 30 spots. The 10 additional spots will be allocated to waitlisted students who do not yet have valid enrollment for this course, with swap requests not considered. The allocation of these spots is determined based on urgency and academic progress and is managed by the Vice Rectorate for Teaching, without influence from the course instructors.
Students who are absent during the first session of their section will lose their spot. These unclaimed spots will be offered to waitlisted students who attend the first session of the section. This allocation is handled by the section instructors and follows the order of the waitlist.

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