Educating geographers in an era of the anthropocene: paradoxical natures – paradoxical cultures

Grindsted, Thomas Skou

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.10.086

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Studies have shown that university students differ widely in their understanding of the concept (Birdsall, 2014). These differences may reflect the disciplinary backgrounds of teachers and the context of learning (Gough and Scott, 2003), and include different representations (Grinstedt, 2015). Despite their different backgrounds and slightly varying emphases, most of the students initially described sustainability as comprising economic, social and ecological dimensions.…”

Section: Transactional Learning and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Transactional learning and sustainability co-creation in a university – business collaboration

Soini

Korhonen-Kurki²,

Asikainen³

2019

IJSHE

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the learning outcomes of the project-based learning in a Master Class programme on sustainability carried out in collaboration by the University of Helsinki and a private company operating in global mining technology. The following two questions were addressed: Q1. What kind of sustainability competences do participants acquire in the Master Class? Q2. What is the role of PBL in the learning outcomes? Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an ex ante open-ended survey and post-ante interviews addressed to the participants. The data were analysed using the qualitative content analysis. Findings The findings show that the Master Class contributed to most of the competences under study. However, unlike in previous studies, systemic thinking is highlighted as a fundamental rather than a parallel core competence. Furthermore, the results also emphasise the role of emotions, which is insufficiently acknowledged and accounted for in sustainability education. Research limitations/implications The study focussed only on the learning outcomes of the participants (students) and not the other parties (such as company and researchers). Practical implications Future research should focus on affective dimension as a stepping stone to the transformational learning. In addition, the role of the systemic understanding in sustainability education should be highlighted as a core competence. Social implications The study revealed the overall positive impacts of the co-creation in university – business collaboration to the participants’ sustainability competences. Originality/value The study presents an empirical case study where the various competence frameworks were applied with a result of confirming the validity of the existing key competences, in particular the systemic understanding and showing the role of the affective dimension in the transactional learning.

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Section: Transactional Learning and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Transactional learning and sustainability co-creation in a university – business collaboration

Soini

Korhonen-Kurki²,

Asikainen³

2019

IJSHE

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“…In academia sustainability seems to make space for external activism, while it gains little space for internal activism due to its low status (buzzword), e.g. in geography (Grindsted 2015).…”

Section: Distinguishing Abstract From Buzzwordsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the inculcation of sustainability and academic governmentalities individualize and institutionalize the use of keywords and buzzwords, the paper raises concern over the political ecologies of reference making and the "commodification of nature" (Loftus 2015) from within academia. As for the academic work in general and for concepts like sustainability, nature, circular economy, resilience or the Anthropocene in particular, they display a number of tactics in the search for grands, academic reputation and publication records (Grindsted 2015). Yet, different notions of sustainability both mobilize neo-liberal interests and accelerate thinking of universities as marketable entities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geoscience and sustainability – In between keywords and buzzwords

Grindsted

2018

Geoforum

Self Cite

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This paper explores how scientists entangle themselves in between keywords and buzzwords when they make use of concepts like sustainability. It sketches out theoretical distinctions between keywords and buzzwords. Then it turns to the concept of nature discussing the paradox that nature embraces the same fuzzy, slippery and contingent character as does sustainability, yet the former has a deep ontological status, the latter does not. The paper explores a related paradox: natural sciences claim we live in the Anthropocene, in which humans have transformed geochemical cycles, e.g. of methane and carbon dioxide as much as they changed between glacial and interglacial periods. Yet, science favors (external) nature as a keyword, sustainability as a buzzword. This should cause deep reflections on how scientists make use of the power of reference in between keywords and buzzwords-as well as critical reflection on the institutionalization of such concepts.

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“…Consequently, geographical analyses address sustainability challenges, their dynamics, contextualities and consequences across scales, as a means to understand and inform planning debates over practical solutions and their implementation (Meadows, 2020). Even though we live in a world where more than half the planet’s land surface has been changed by human activities (Steffen et al , 2011; Castree, 2015), geographers have been slow in integrating sustainability into curricula (Yarnal and Neff, 2004; Chalkley, 2006; Westaway, 2009; Grindsted, 2015). Yet, core concepts in geography education are space, place, landscape, people, nature and sustainability (Mansfield, 2009; Grindsted, 2018).…”

Section: Introduction – Rescaling the Sustainable Development Goalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This enables students to better understand the complexities of sustainability goals and, in turn, develop more holistic approaches (Nightingale, 2018; Meadows, 2020; Yli-Panula et al , 2020). As Grindsted (2015, p. 320) noted, the journey of geographical transformations is also a journey of the nature of time and space. Consequently, geographical analyses address sustainability challenges, their dynamics, contextualities and consequences across scales, as a means to understand and inform planning debates over practical solutions and their implementation (Meadows, 2020).…”

Section: Introduction – Rescaling the Sustainable Development Goalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spaces of learning – practising the SDGs through geographical fieldwork methods in a nature park

Grindsted

Nielsen

2021

IJSHE

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Purpose While the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and visions for sustainability education apply to many methods, they can be hard to put into practice. This study aims to concern an undergraduate geography course designed not only to teach geographical methods but also to engage with the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and apply them to various local urban sustainability issues in a real-world context. Design/methodology/approach By means of a mixed-method approach, the authors examine a fieldwork course that invites students into learning situations in which they combine critical thinking with entrepreneurial solutions to local sustainability challenges. The authors examine the learning material from the students’ cases and explore the geographical knowledge the students’ practise. Findings Fieldwork helps students contextualise the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and thereby apply them to analyses in a local context. Students learn first-hand how their planning proposals can be seen as counterproductive by some local stakeholders while remaining attractive to others. Originality/value Student tasks are developed in collaboration with a local municipality and students present their findings to local politicians and stakeholders. Presenting and localising the SDGs within a local community not only encourages students to undertake a local community analysis but also provides new perspectives to local stakeholders.

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Educating geographers in an era of the anthropocene: paradoxical natures – paradoxical cultures

Cited by 11 publications

References 34 publications

Transactional learning and sustainability co-creation in a university – business collaboration

Transactional learning and sustainability co-creation in a university – business collaboration

Geoscience and sustainability – In between keywords and buzzwords

Spaces of learning – practising the SDGs through geographical fieldwork methods in a nature park

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