Critical Realism, Environmental Learning and Social-Ecological Change

Critical Realism, Environmental Learning and Social-Ecological Change
Author: Leigh Price
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2015-12-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317338472

Southern Africa, where most of these book chapters originate, has been identified as one of regions of the world most at risk of the consequences of environmental degradation and climate change. At the same time, it is still seeking ways to overcome the century long ravages of colonial and apartheid impositions of structural and epistemic violence. Research deliberations and applied research case studies in environmental education and activism from this region provide an emerging contextualized engagement that is related to a wider internationally articulated quest to achieve social-ecological justice, resilience and sustainability through educational interventions. This book introduces a decade of mainly southern African critical realist environmental education research and thinking that asks the question: "How can we facilitate learning processes that will lead to the flourishing of the Earth’s people and ecosystems in more socially just ways?" The environmental education research topics represented in this book are wide-ranging. However, they all exhibit the common theme of social justice and wanting to create change towards a better future. All the authors have used critical realist or critical realist-influenced research methodologies. Offering contributions from a small but growing community of researchers working with critical realism in the global South, this book will be of interest to students, scholars and practitioners in the areas of environmental education, sustainability, development and the philosophy of critical realism in general.

Post-Sustainability and Environmental Education

Post-Sustainability and Environmental Education
Author: Bob Jickling
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2017-03-17
Genre: Education
ISBN: 3319513222

This book provides a critique of over two decades of sustained effort to infuse educational systems with education for sustainable development. Taking to heart the idea that deconstruction is a prelude to reconstruction, this critique leads to discussions about how education can be remade, and respond to the educational imperatives of our time, particularly as they relate to ecological crises and human-nature relationships. It will be of great interest to students and researchers of sociology, education, philosophy and environmental issues.

Green Skills Research in South Africa

Green Skills Research in South Africa
Author: Eureta Rosenberg
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2019-12-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1000764591

This book proposes transformative, realist methodology for skills research and planning through an analysis of case studies of the changing world of work, new learning pathways and educational system challenges. Studies of the green economy and sustainability transitions are a growing field internationally, however there are few books that link this interest to the development of skills. This book draws on, and showcases, the experience and insights of researcher-practitioners who are at the cutting edge in this emerging field, internationally and in South Africa. The context for this book is South Africa, but application is worldwide. In many ways indicative of the global picture, South Africa is in the grip of economic and environmental imperatives, searching for safe and just transitions. The authors present a new, embedded transitioning systems model for studying skills for a sustainable, just future. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainable development, ecological economics and skills planning.

Navigating the Research-Policy Relationship

Navigating the Research-Policy Relationship
Author: Mark Rickinson
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2023-09-26
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1000964434

Drawing on studies in environmental and sustainability education, this book brings together new work that has explored the research-policy interface in varied contexts and from diverse perspectives.It will be beneficial to those interested in understanding the interface between research and policy. The relationship between research and policy has become an increasing focus for theoretical inquiry, empirical investigation, and practical development across many different fields. This volume highlights new empirical insights, theoretical ideas, practical examples, and methodological approaches for understanding, navigating, and developing more productive research-policy relationships. This book will be beneficial to anyone who is interested in understanding the interface between research and policy. The chapters in this book were originally published in the journal Environmental Education Research.

The Sustainability Debate

The Sustainability Debate
Author: Martina Topić
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 173
Release: 2021-03-25
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1800437803

This book goes beyond environmental protection and looks at sustainability by predominantly focusing on human and social sustainability and this focus is carried into sections of the book that discuss sustainable policies, media and gender. The book takes an academic and practitioner approach.

Schooling for Sustainable Development in Africa

Schooling for Sustainable Development in Africa
Author: Heila Lotz-Sisitka
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2016-11-11
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3319459899

This book considers the scope and dynamics of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and learning in schools in Africa. It explores the conditions and processes that support such learning, and examines how ESD in schooling can improve the quality and relevance of education. The quality of education has been defined internationally as a key concern for educational institutions around the world, including schools in Africa. The models of quality are often limited to performance-based approaches and/or inclusive approaches. The contributions in this book show that there is more to a discussion on educational quality in Africa than performance success and/or inclusion. The chapters explain how ESD brings a new relevance to education in Africa, and at the same time, sounds the beginning of a new concept of quality education. The volume presents a collection of experiences in creating and supporting quality learning processes through a variety of ESD practices.

World Review

World Review
Author: Marco Rieckmann
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2024-06-21
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1040052045

The global landscape of education has been reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing the various challenges faced by countries worldwide. This book provides a comprehensive exploration of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) across different countries, offering unique insights into their histories, challenges, achievements, and future ESE needs. From Africa to Oceania, the book delves into the vital role of ESE in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It highlights the diverse national discourses and the flexibility required to deliver effective global education programs. ESE practitioners, researchers, and policymakers worldwide will find inspiration and invaluable perspectives in this book.

Big Picture Perspectives on Planetary Flourishing

Big Picture Perspectives on Planetary Flourishing
Author: Nicholas Hedlund
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2022-07-29
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 100060828X

This book, split across two volumes, is a follow-up and companion to Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century (Routledge, 2016). All three of these volumes are the dialogical outcome of a multi-year symposia series wherein critical realists and integral theorists deeply engaged each other and their distinct but complementary approaches to integrative metatheory. Whereas Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century is primarily theoretical in its focus, Big Picture Perspectives for Planetary Flourishing: Metatheory for the Anthropocene aims to more concretely and practically address the complex planetary crises of a new era that many scholars now refer to as ‘the Anthropocene.’ In this first of two new volumes, participants of the symposia series articulate a variety of ‘big picture perspectives’ and transformative interventions in the domains of society and economics, social psychology, and education. Together, these chapters demonstrate how integrative metatheory and its application can make powerful contributions to planetary flourishing in the Anthropocene. With one of the defining characteristics of the Anthropocene being the sheer complexity and multi-valent nature of our interconnected global challenges, these volumes crucially present new forms of scholarship that can adequately weave together insights from multiple disciplines into new forms of metapraxis. As such, this book will be of interest to students, scholars, and practitioners in the areas of philosophy, social theory, critical realism, integral studies, metamodernism, and current affairs generally.

Collaboration and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement in Landscape Governance and Management in Africa

Collaboration and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement in Landscape Governance and Management in Africa
Author: Nicola Favretto
Publisher: MDPI
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2021-09-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3036514775

The severity of interconnected socio-economic and environmental impacts on landscapes and people across Africa are exacerbated as a result of land degradation, conflict, poor governance, competition for land and inequality, and exacerbated by climate change. In pursuing pathways towards a more resilient future, collaborative and multi-stakeholder governance and management of landscapes have been promoted by government agencies, NGOs and conservation organisations as a possible solution. However, there is no single way to achieve effective collaboration, and different landscape projects have experimented with different entry points and engagement processes. Grounded in partnerships amongst researchers, practitioners and development partners with expertise in landscape governance and management in Africa, this book describes and collates key lessons from practice for supporting more resilient and equitable landscapes.