The University at the Crossroads of Eco-Social Challenges: Pedagogy of Care and the Community of Life for a Transformative Learning

Abstract

What kind of responsibility do universities have with regard to the current emergency created by ecological and socio-economic collapse? This work begins by considering the colonization of universities by neoliberal globalization. Education is one of the areas that appears as a fundamental source of business in the globalized economy, thus reorienting the role of the State in accordance with the New Public Managements (NPM's) educational policy. The NPM is the main instrument responsible for modifying the structure and culture of state services by means of introducing privatization and market-specific mechanisms. But, in so doing, something very important is created: a process of “re-culturing,” the establishment of the “one-track thinking.” It is “endogenous neoliberalism” that promotes the construction of a new identity: the neoliberal view of education from the “entrepreneurial self.” Next, and based on the criticism of the Frankfurt School, we question whether the use of reason—as instrumental reason—exists in neoliberal logic, and how it use is related to morals and ethics. We need alternative ideas that configure a new worldview for a new scenario, one which facilitates a deep civilizational reconstruction. The Community of Life is the fundamental certainty on which we can base a new worldview. We are one human family and, even more, one Earth Community with a common destiny. This perspective exists at an even more inclusive level, in order to integrate all living beings. We need care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love. It implies a synthesis, which places us at the doors of wisdom. The ethics of care and its educational translation as Pedagogy of Care, should have, as its main objective, the experiential learning of our reconnection with the Community of Life. Therefore, it would be necessary a truly transformative learning that we, as humanity, will need to carry out. This is where universities are called on to play a strategic role. The changes that must take place in universities have to be based on a new worldview: the Ethics of Care of the Community of Life. Finally, some practical consequences are proposed in this sense.

Training community engaged climate adaptation leaders using multiple case study analysis: insights from cognitive learning sciences

“…In this paper, we draw from theory and empirical research from cognitive learning sciences to demonstrate how a multiple case study analysis approach can be used to teach critical competencies needed for climate adaptation work across multiple social-ecological contexts. This work aligns with recommendations from the climate education literature to employ curricular and pedagogical resources and approaches to support transformative adaptation work (Feinstein and Mach, 2020;Fioramonti et al, 2021;López-López et al, 2021).…”

Walking, talking, [Re-]imagining socio-ecological sustainability: Research on the move/moving research

“…Several authors (López-lópez et al, 2021; Tassone et al . , 2018; Wals et al, 2016) have characterised Higher Education as being at the crossroads.…”

“…Several authors (López-lópez et al, 2021;Tassone et al, 2018;Wals et al, 2016) have characterised Higher Education as being at the crossroads. Taking a path towards the well-being of the planet and people requires a profound ontological, epistemological and ethical transformation and a process approach to learning (Lange, 2018).…”

Regenerative Collaboration in Higher Education: A Framework for Surpassing Sustainability and Attaining Regeneration

“…For example, we have discovered that bacteria function in communicative communities and also collaborate with other species, such as squid [9,11]. Additionally, the very evolution of life on Earth may have originated through forms of bacteria collaborating with one another [11,12]. We also know that plants produce the oxygen breathed by animals (including humans), while animals exhale the carbon dioxide plants need.…”

“…. so that humanity may learn how to make social progress toward a better, wiser, more civilized, enlightened world" [6], see also [12]. As Fazey et al discuss, higher education has often experienced evolution, and it is now time for its next stage [8,24].…”