SUST 202 Midterm Exam I - Exam format and topic overview
Midterm Exam I is worth 20% of your final grade. It is a closed book exam and will take place in class on October 14, 2025
Exam format: You will be given an exam sheet, and you will answer the questions directly on the sheet.
You could be asked any of the following types of questions:
● Multiple choice and true or false.
● Short answer questions will comprise the majority of the grade. Answers will generally be a few sentences to about a paragraph in length. Please use full sentences (not bullet points) whenever possible. You could be asked to do any of the following:
o Describe or critique concepts, theories, or outcomes from UN conferences.
o Compare and/or contrast different concepts, theories or sets of goals (e.g., SDGs vs MDGs)
o Provide examples discussed in class to support your answers.
Grading criteria
● Multiple choice and true-or-false questions will be graded on whether they are correct.
● Short answer and long answer questions will be assessed on the extent to which the answer is clear, accurate, and thorough.
● Depending on the question asked, you may also be assessed on your ability to do the following:
o Use reasoning, evidence and/or examples to support and develop your answers.
o Effectively analyze, compare and contrast, and/or synthesize key concepts and ideas.
Tips for answering questions:
● Carefully review the questions and ensure that you have answered all parts of each question.
● Be focused: directly answer the question and do not add irrelevant material that does not answer the question
● Be clear and specific: vague or overly general answers will not earn as many points. Provide examples where appropriate.
Material covered on midterm exam I:
● The midterm exam will cover course materials in Units 1 to 3. Course materials include all instructor lectures and PowerPoint slides, guest lectures, student presentations, required readings and key points that were discussed during class discussions.
● Exam questions will primarily focus on material covered during the lectures, although key concepts in the required readings are also fair game.
● You could be asked about any ideas, terms, concepts, theories or events that were discussed in class, with the exception of information that Maja or I said you would not be tested on.
● Questions will focus more on key ideas, terms, concepts, theories or events, particularly those that were highlighted or repeated during the lecture.
● You may be asked to describe, explain, compare, critique or provide examples for key ideas, terms, concepts or theories.
● You should know the approximate time period in which events occurred, as well as the relative size, rates or trends that were highlighted in class (e.g., how the population growth rate has changed over time). In general, however, you will not be asked to provide specific dates or figures (e.g., the current atmospheric concentration of CO2), unless these dates or figures were emphasized in class.
*Material not covered on midterm exam I:
● There will be no direct questions from any of the optional readings.
What to focus on:
● Most of the content you will be tested on will come from material covered in class lectures and PowerPoints, including instructor lectures and the guest lecture. You may also have one or two questions on the student group presentations.
● You should do well on the exam if you have a good grasp of the material that was covered in class, especially any concepts or themes that were repeated or emphasized.
● If you missed any details in the lecture, you can review the class recordings in eClass. If you have any questions after reviewing the lecture material, please email Maja and me.
● The readings provide additional material to deepen your understanding of the content covered in class. When studying for the exam, it would be helpful to go back to the readings and focus in particular on the parts of the readings that were discussed in class.
● Check out the questions on the midterm and final exams for previous years. These are available in the "Past evaluative material" folder in eClass. While some of the material has been different, these exams can give you an idea of the types of questions that will be asked.
Topic overview
*Note: The topics or concepts in bold text below were emphasized in class and are more likely to be on the midterm exam.
Unit 1: Origins and Evolution of International Development
● Origins and evolution of development, especially two US-led initiatives:
o The Marshall Plan: its goals and outcomes
o The Truman Doctrine: The aims in Point 4 in Truman's inaugural address and how it influenced the concepts and thinking of development and international relations. Know the concept of underdevelopment.
o Be able to talk about the underlying geopolitical motives and the focus on economic growth in post World War II thinking about development.
o Be able to offer criticisms ofthe new conceptions of development and international relations after WWII.
● Theories of development (you should know the key points of each of these theories, especially the ones in bold text):
o Development economics: Its relation to Keynesian economics and its call for active state intervention in the economy
o Modernization theory: Know the five stages in Walt Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth (“take-off” model), key characteristics of this model (e.g., economic growth was seen as linear), and critiques ofthis model. Be familiar with the influence of modernization theory, but you don't need to know this in detail. Note that you do not need to know Talcott Parson’s pattern variables.
o Marxism: You don't need to know about Marxism in detail, but you should be able to describe its highlights (theory of social change, rejection of capitalism, etc.)
o Dependency theory:
▪ Know the names ofRaúl Prebisch and the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA or CEPAL)
▪ Know the key points of dependency theory, including the core-periphery model, its criticisms ofthe “law of comparative advantage”, and its solutions (including import-substitution industrialization (ISI))
▪ Be able to contrast dependency theory with modernization theory (discussed in the class discussion)
o Neoliberalism:
▪ Be able to describe neoliberalism, its common policies (trade
liberalization, etc.), its views on development, and offer some criticisms of neoliberalism.
▪ Be familiar with how neoliberal influence has declined, but you don't need to know this in depth.
o Post-development:
▪ Be able to describe the concept of discourse
▪ Know that post-development sees development as a discourse and be able to describe constant features of the development discourse
▪ Be familiar with the evidence for why post-development thinkers believe that we should overcome the discourse and practices of ‘development’ and that era of ‘development’ is ending.
Unit 2: Evolution of Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Evolution of Sustainability and Sustainable Development
● The evolution of sustainable development (economic growth > economic development > sustainable development)
o Understanding the difference between intra- and inter-generational equity, and between equality and equity
● The history, definitions and etymology of sustainable development and sustainability
● Differences between sustainability and sustainable development
● Tensions in the concept of conservation and development: how it was first seen as
incompatible, then we have a transition to two seemingly compatible concepts
o The role and importance of the World Conservation Strategy (WCS) in this transition
● The pillars of sustainability and sustainable development
● The difference between ‘preservation’ and ‘conservation’ and an example of each
● The tensions and conflicts in the definition of sustainable development
● Critiques of sustainable development
There will not be any questions on the following:
● Other specific sustainability definitions like Bartlet, Dryzek, etc
Evolution of Sustainable Development (SD) through UN-led conferences/initiatives & MDGs, SDGs and Agenda 2030
● The role of key UN conferences and initiatives. You do not have to know every
conference and its outcomes in detail, but you should know the ones highlighted in class. Be prepared to discuss a few key contributions of these conferences/initiatives and critiques/omissions of these conferences/initiatives.
o How this progression ofUN conferences/initiatives influences evolution,
understanding and definition of sustainable development (three overview slides of Unit 2, Lecture 2) and why it’s important to discuss sustainable development through this lens. E.g. move from ‘environment’ to ‘environment and development’, adoption of holistic, multi-pillar vision of sustainable development, etc.
o 1972, UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm
. Environment at the forefront, including negative environmental effects of development.
. No environment-development nexus
o 1987, The Brundtland Commission/Report
. What is the definition of sustainable development that emerged?
▪ Human centred, intra- and inter-generational equity
. What type of growth is required?
. Critiques/debates
o 1992, UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and the Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro
. Agenda 21
. Translated Brundtland sustainable development ideal into a universal ideal, for all countries (developing and developed)
▪ Environmental protection integral part of development process
o 2002, World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), Johannesburg
. Advanced the understanding and global integration of the three interconnected pillars of sustainable development (in UN and externally)
. There will not be any questions on the following:
● Type II outcomes
o 2000 - Millennium Summit and the Millennium Declaration, New York
. Gave rise to MDGs
▪ How is development to be understood now, ie. poverty reduction
o 2012 - UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, Rio de Janeiro
. Initiated process for the SDGs
▪ What should SDGs address?
● The Millennium Summit and the MDGs, and their predecessor the International Development Targets
o Why were the MDGs important, which MDGs were largely achieved
● Agenda 2030 and the SDGs
o How many SDG Goals and targets are there, what did SDGs aim to accomplish, were they as ambitious as the MDGs, are they a local or global/universal framework.
● The MDGs and SDGs: the differences, similarities, critiques, tensions, etc
o Review Unit 2, Lecture 3 summary tables and discussions of MDGs and SDGs
SDGs - deeper analysis
● The intricacies of the UN processes that were discussed or the positives and negatives of those processes (broad strokes)
● What are some positives ofthe SDGs
● What are some exclusions ofthe SDGs, be ready to discuss one possible ‘alternative’ framework
● Systems approaches in the SDGs: interconnectedness, benefits, complementarities,
trade-offs (know the definition of a complementarity and trade-off, be ready to provide an example of each)
o Why could the SDG targets "be considered a representation of the systems approach to sustainable economic development”?
● List of key organizations/bodies and their roles in sustainable development. Examples include: OECD, DAC, OWG, UNEP, ECOSOC, etc. This includes understanding how the UN operates (on a basic level).
● There will not be any questions on the following:
o Technical questions about the analytical frameworks for trade-offs and synergies
Unit 3: Climate Change, Environment, and the SDGs
Climate change:
● Climate science:
o Climate science: be familiar with how greenhouse gases contribute to the
greenhouse effect, how GHG emissions have been rising steadily, and the top three types of GHGs in terms of the quantities of emissions (in carbon dioxide equivalents per year). You won't be asked to provide exact quantities of emissions, but you should know the three GHGs that are emitted in the largest quantities.
o Know that GHG emissions vary from sector to sector and from region to region and why it is important to be aware of this variation. However, you don't have to memorize which sectors emit the most emissions in each region.
o You won't be asked for the exact concentration of atmospheric CO2, but know that the CO2 concentration and the average global temperature have both been rising
o Be able to describe the predicted environmental impacts of climate change.
o Be able to describe how climate change could potentially impact human societies and international development.
● Climate change action:
o Climate change mitigation:
▪ Know what mitigation is and be able to recognize mitigation options
▪ Be familiar with the types of renewable energy options that were
discussed in class (wind and solar, hydroelectricity, biomass, solar thermal and geothermal). Be able to describe an advantage and a disadvantage of each of these types of renewable energy.
o Climate change adaptation:
▪ Be able to describe what adaptation is and be familiar with the soft and hard adaptation approaches.
▪ Briefly describe nature-based solutions (NbS) and Nature-based Climate Solutions (NBCS), and be able to provide examples.
▪ Note that the video link in the slides on the Mangrove case study in
Mexico is optional but can provide a better understanding of some of the benefits of nature-based solutions
o Be able to describe why we need both climate change mitigation and adaptation in order to address climate change.
o Brief history of climate management:
▪ Be familiar with the IPCC, UNFCCC, CBDR+C, and Kyoto Protocol, including their main roles and/or goals. Be familiar with the annual
Conference of the Parties (COPs)
▪ Know the aims and key characteristics of the 2015 Paris Agreement
▪ Be familiar with SDG 13, the three targets listed on the slide, and some critiques.
o Nature-based solutions, nature-based climate solutions (NBCS), and
ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA): what these are and what they hope to accomplish. Be able to describe some of the benefits of these approaches (e.g., the benefits of mangrove protection and restoration).
● You will not be tested on the following:
o Highlights of COP o
Water management guest lecture (Dr. Bob Summers):
● Be able to explain how Dr. Summer's research illustrates the importance of understanding systems before intervening in them.
● Water and sanitation facts - you don't need to memorize numbers, but you should be familiar with some basic water and sanitation issues (lack of clean drinking water, improper sanitation, time spent collecting water, and some of the impacts of a lack of clean water)
● Two approaches to water management:
o Be familiar with the economic/technology solution to pump groundwater
(higher-tech solution) and village level operation and maintenance (VLOM) (low-tech solution).
o Briefly identify the main drawbacks ofthe first solution (the higher tech solution)
o Be familiar with the process involved in having VLOM set up in villages by international aid agencies.
o Be able to provide the major reasons why VLOM failed to work in the Malawi villages that Dr. Summers studied.
o Explain how the villages' beliefs about the link between water and health can impact the success of VLOM projects in Malawi.
● Explain how formal rules and informal norms differ from each other. Explain how formal rules might fail to work due to informal norms, using the example of water management in Malawi to illustrate your answer.
● Be able to describe several main reflections that Dr. Summers shared, based on his research in Malawi. For example, what are some of the solutions that he recommended?
Population:
● Be familiar with the population debate - concern about human population growth and the possibility of exceeding the Earth’s carrying capacity.
● Major factors that shape trends in population size and age structure, including fertility and mortality (migration will be discussed in Unit 4)
● In general, you do not need to memorize specific numbers but should be aware of trends in total fertility rate (TFR) and crude death rates and how these trends impact population growth rates over time.
● Be familiar with some of the major factors that affect changing fertility rates and crude death rates
● Be aware of the differences in population growth rates between developed and developing countries.
● Be able to describe some of the socioeconomic impacts of rapid population growth
Food and agriculture:
● Be familiar with the purpose of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP)
● Know what the Green Revolution was, as well as its positive and negative impacts, including its environmental, social and economic impacts
● Be familiar with the three types of malnutrition (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and overnutrition) and their physiological, social and economic impacts. You don't have to memorize the number of people affected by malnutrition, but you should be aware of the scale of the problem.
● Be familiar with international food and hunger goals, including MDG 1 and SDG 2 and their aims. You don’t need to memorize the SDG 2 targets but you should be aware of their focus on hunger, food security and malnutrition.
● Be able to describe Amartya Sen's Ethiopia case study and how it illustrates the role of governance and how food security is about more than just producing food.
● Know what food security is and be able to identify its four dimensions (food availability, economic and physical access to food, food utilization, and stability over time)
● Know what food insecurity is.
There will not be any questions on the following:
● The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
● The three classes of food insecurity (food secure or only marginally insecure (aka mild food insecurity), moderately food insecure, or severely food insecure)
● Major threats to food security
Biodiversity
● Be able to define the term biodiversity
● Be familiar with the terms species and ecosystem (you won't be asked to define them, however).
● Be able to explain why biodiversity is important for natural processes and human societies
● *Key concept: know what ecosystem services are, know the four categories of
ecosystem services, and be able to explain the links between ecosystem health and human well-being. Have an appreciation for the value of ecosystem services.
● Human dependence on nature (nature dependence): be able to describe what
nature-dependent people rely on nature and ecosystem services for, as well as briefly describe how biodiversity loss can impact nature-dependent people.
● Know the general trends in species extinctions over time
● Be familiar with international agreements and goals related to biodiversity, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
● Be familiar with the overall aim of SDG 15 and know that it builds on the Aichi Targets, and have a general sense of the progress toward SDG 15 (e.g., 5 targets were not met by 2020).
● Be aware that the Post-2020 global biodiversity framework will replace the Aichi Targets.
There will not be any questions on the following:
● The evidence for why scientists believe we might be in a sixth mass extinction
● The main drivers of biodiversity loss: habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, overexploitation, climate change impacts, poverty and human population growth.
Student group presentations