Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science: Sustainability and Popular Culture
Source: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/study/environmental-studies-and-sustainability-science-sustainability-and-popular-culture-MESS56 Parent: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/university-glance/mission-vision-and-values/sustainability/sustainability-education-lund-university
Course • Master's level • 7.5 credits
Sustainability discourses are increasingly embedded in culture across its multiple dimensions, including different worldviews and values, and ways of life. This increase in sustainability discourse in society's daily practices might contribute to shifting the current unsustainable trajectory.
Start
Autumn 2026
Level
Master's
Language
English
Place of study
Lund
Course code
MESS56
- Overview
Overview
For this course, popular culture is defined as the entirety of attitudes, ideas, images, perspectives, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream of a given Culture. The most common pop culture categories are: entertainment, sports, news, politics, and fashion.
The course aims to increase your awareness and understanding of popular culture and its representations of sustainability and nature.
The course is divided into three parts:
Part 1 will provide an overview of the competing theories and concepts surrounding popular culture and its linkages with sustainability.
Part 2 examines case studies, such as sustainable fashion, food, political campaigns, and advertising, and critically analyses how they represent sustainability. In this part, the complexities of popular culture are in focus. Examples of questions that can be discussed: How advertisement and entertainment influence the ways we imagine nature and the environment; and how ideas about sustainability are communicated in politics through political campaigns.
Part 3 asks what sustainability studies learn from popular culture, for example, by analysing the media strategies of successful sustainability initiatives. The course will, for example, analyse visual data to understand how visual methods such as photography and documentary film create arenas for the public to engage with and discuss sustainability.
Course syllabus
The syllabus contains the formal and legal details of the entire course. It’s a legal document outlining the course structure and requirements, intended mainly for administrative use.
Course literature
The course literature listed may be updated up to eight weeks before the course begins.
Course literature MESS56 (PDF, New tab)
- Dates
- Requirements and selection
- Tuition fees
Dates
Not available as a stand-alone course
This course is only available as part of a programme.
Requirements and selection
Prerequisites
At least 40 ECTS credits from the programme SAESS Masterprogram i Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science (also called LUMES).
Selection criteria
Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100 %.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens
Citizens of countries outside:
- The European Union (EU)
- The European Economic Area (EEA) and
- Switzerland
are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each \ semester.
Tuition fees, payments and exemptions
Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 18,750 \ First payment: SEK 18,750
Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.
No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland
There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
Overview
For this course, popular culture is defined as the entirety of attitudes, ideas, images, perspectives, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream of a given Culture. The most common pop culture categories are: entertainment, sports, news, politics, and fashion.
The course aims to increase your awareness and understanding of popular culture and its representations of sustainability and nature.
The course is divided into three parts:
Part 1 will provide an overview of the competing theories and concepts surrounding popular culture and its linkages with sustainability.
Part 2 examines case studies, such as sustainable fashion, food, political campaigns, and advertising, and critically analyses how they represent sustainability. In this part, the complexities of popular culture are in focus. Examples of questions that can be discussed: How advertisement and entertainment influence the ways we imagine nature and the environment; and how ideas about sustainability are communicated in politics through political campaigns.
Part 3 asks what sustainability studies learn from popular culture, for example, by analysing the media strategies of successful sustainability initiatives. The course will, for example, analyse visual data to understand how visual methods such as photography and documentary film create arenas for the public to engage with and discuss sustainability.
Course literature
The course literature listed may be updated up to eight weeks before the course begins.
Course literature MESS56 (PDF, New tab)
Dates
Not available as a stand-alone course
This course is only available as part of a programme.
Requirements and selection
Prerequisites
At least 40 ECTS credits from the programme SAESS Masterprogram i Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science (also called LUMES).
Selection criteria
Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100 %.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens
Citizens of countries outside:
- The European Union (EU)
- The European Economic Area (EEA) and
- Switzerland
are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each \ semester.
Tuition fees, payments and exemptions
Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 18,750 \ First payment: SEK 18,750
Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.
No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland
There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
Contact us
Programme Coordinator
Amanda Elgh
Email: amanda.elgh@lucsus.lu.se
Phone: +46 46 222 04 70