Module 1 - Historical, Social, and Ethical Perspectives Abstract

Abstract

This module begins with a lecture introducing the concepts of industrial ecology and sustainable manufacturing, before looking at the industrial revolution from the perspective of its social and environmental impacts, using cotton textile production as a case study.  The lecture culminates in a discussion of how the t-shirts which have been distributed to students at the start of the module (with course logo) have been made without the negative impacts of traditional – and present-day – cotton garment production. The module also features excerpts from “The Next Industrial Revolution” (a DVD that features McDonough and Braungart’s work along with the environmental efforts of companies like Nike and Hermann Miller); discussion of readings that analyze the philosophical, ethical, and regulatory dimensions to our present environmental crisis; and a research project in which student groups are assigned a product that they need to analyze for its environmental and social impacts, and suggest possible improvements or alternatives to the production and distribution process.  Students present their findings to the class in the form of a powerpoint presentation.

Additional Material Available

Powerpoint lecture: slides and lecture notes in a separate text file.
List of readings and brief synopsis of their relevance to the module
Reading quiz (covers assigned readings)
Description of research assignment and suggested list of research topics (products)

Contact Information:

Benjamin Redekop - bredekop@kettering.edu

PowerPoint Sample

 bulldog