Conditions for transformative learning for sustainable development: a theoretical review and approach

Sammanfattning

Continued unsustainability and surpassed planetary boundaries require not only scientific and technological advances, but deep and enduring social and cultural changes. The purpose of this article is to contribute a theoretical approach to understand conditions and constraints for societal change towards sustainable development. In order to break with unsustainable norms, habits, practices, and structures, there is a need for learning for transformation, not only adaption. Based on a critical literature review within the field of learning for sustainable development, our approach is a development of the concept of transformative learning, by integrating three additional dimensionsInstitutional Structures, Social Practices, and Conflict Perspectives. This approach acknowledges conflicts on macro, meso, and micro levels, as well as structural and cultural constraints. It contends that transformative learning is processual, interactional, long-term, and cumbersome. It takes place within existing institutions and social practices, while also transcending them. The article adopts an interdisciplinary social science perspective that acknowledges the importance of transformative learning in order for communities, organizations, and individuals to be able to deal with global sustainability problems, acknowledging the societal and personal conflicts involved in such transformation.

Nyckelord

conflict; institutional; learning; social change; social practice; structure; transformative

Publicerad i

Sustainability
2018, Volym: 10, nummer: 12, artikelnummer: 4479

SLU författare

• Singleton, Benedict

  • Institutionen för stad och land, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Associerade SLU-program

SLU Centrum för biologisk mångfald, CBM


Globala målen

SDG4 God utbildning för alla
SDG12 Hållbar konsumtion och produktion


UKÄ forskningsämne

Statsvetenskap (exklusive studier av offentlig förvaltning och globaliseringsstudier)
Lärande
Sociologi (exklusive socialt arbete, socialpsykologi och socialantropologi)


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124479

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/97694