Education for Sustainability: Understanding Processes of Change across Individual, Collective, and System Levels
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methodology
2.1. Data Collection
2.2. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Relational and Interconnected Perspectives
3.2. Inner Space-Making, Freedom and Creation
3.3. Embodied Transformation–Individual and Collective Awareness and Growth
3.4. Lived Embodiment–Change as Being–Being Change
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions and Future Directions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Raw Data–Illustrative Citations | Quote Summary | Sub-Themes |
---|---|---|
“To me, the biggest realisation has been that everything must start from inside, with inner transformation and personal development, before too much focus is placed on outer manifestations.” | Realisation of the importance of inner dimensions and transformative processes for sustainable (long-lasting) outer manifestations and action. | Shift towards including inner dimensions for achieving sustainable change. |
“This year, I have in some way understood that it is about shifting mindset and relationships to each other and nature, to a more relationship-based thinking.” | Seeing the necessity of addressing mindsets/our relationships to others and nature for achieving transformation. | Shift in seeing sustainability challenges as relational/relationship problems. |
“For several years, I have planted vegetables and thought about how I can make it on my own. But [over time the question has shifted to] how can I cooperate in my local community, with my neighbours [to achieve change]?” | Seeing the necessity to link to the wider community, and seeing one’s role as part of a wider, interdependent system. | Shift towards increased cooperation, and collective change-making. |
“Everything in nature and society is dependent on each other and belongs together. To value things for what they are and not for what value they can give us [has been an important realisation].” | Feeling interconnection and interdependence, and valuing things for what they are, rather than what they can give us. | Non-instrumental/mechanical, intrinsic values are seen as a driving force for engaging in sustainability and transformation. |
Raw Data–Illustrative Citations | Quote Summary | Sub-Themes |
---|---|---|
“In the beginning, I thought this course would be something that I just did on the side for some inspiration, pretty shallow. But it has truly gone into the deepest of my inner self (…). I let go of some preconceived ideas of how the world is, and what is possible for me. One of the most challenging things have been to challenge these comfortable patterns and behaviours, but it has also been freeing.” | Exploration of preconceived beliefs and worldviews through finding an inner space for reflection and action that is freeing. | Inner space-making as a source of self-reflection and action. |
“Creativity is a way of uniting, to touch one another. For example, when you sit next to someone at a concert and you have no idea who the person is, but you have that shared experience, of being moved.” | Importance of creativity and shared experience to increase togetherness, and act from this space. | Creativity and co-creation. |
“[being moved] perhaps means that things are re-arranged, dissolve, or lose their structure for a while, and that somehow makes it possible, or sometimes necessary, to make other choices.” | The importance of creating an inner space to be vulnerable, being moved emotionally, losing or rearranging current perspectives, and opening up space for new, different choices and actions. | Inner space as an opening for vulnerability and change. |
“It is like a liberation. I feel free. I feel boundless, I feel like a creator.” | Linking inner and outer aspects of change and having the opportunity to manifest them feels freeing and empowering, a kind of freedom to act, despite (or due to) boundaries. | Sense of inner freedom and empowerment. |
Raw Data–Illustrative Citations | Quote Summary | Sub-Themes |
---|---|---|
“When something feels right, then I feel a calmness in my stomach, like a heaviness… During the course, I have managed to put that feeling into words, feel it, and become aware of what it is; a confirmation coming from the inside.” | Integration of bodily sensations into understanding and judgement, e.g., when something feels ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. | Increased awareness of bodily sensations and emotions, and their interconnectedness. |
“When I get inspired by something, then I get very happy, and I think that energy shows. In that way, I can make more people join, and I think that could be a good way forward.” | Embodiment as a form of energy, linked to interconnectedness and change-making. | Importance of the body–of recreation connection–in change-making. |
“I am very much in my head when I am in my own intelligence, I feel it very clearly. But when it’s a collective intelligence, I feel it more in my heart, around the heart area, the whole body is more involved. Or it’s more coming from the middle of the body…” | Awareness of collective intelligence as altered mind-body topography, compared with individual intelligence. | A collective transformation with an embodied group culture. |
Raw Data–Illustrative Examples | Quote Summary | Sub-Themes |
---|---|---|
“Life has become the course.” | There is no difference, separation or disconnection between inner and outer knowledge, and between inner and outer change. | Overcoming separation/disconnection. Reconnection and oneness. |
“I have read academic courses […] that have awakened curiosity within me, but it has stopped there, and has never connected with this deeper dimension.” | Learning is connecting with a deeper exploration of self and personal growth. | Embodied learning. Vertical learning. |
“[The inner compass] has always been with me, but it has gotten more space to grow […] now at work, I feel that I have to be the voice of discomfort.” | Reflection and support of the inner compass, and its embodiment to support change. | Embodied change–leading to collective and systems change. |
“I have become convinced that I have to deal with the worry of others…” | Seeing the importance of the embodied emotions of others. | Mirrored embodied transformation to support collective and systems change. |
“[It] moved me very much […], leading to different ‘conversations’ and actions, including an article that was published in a newspaper.” | Importance of emotions for action-taking. | Embodiment as the alignment of emotions, values and actions at individual and collective levels. |
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Pöllänen, E.; Osika, W.; Bojner Horwitz, E.; Wamsler, C. Education for Sustainability: Understanding Processes of Change across Individual, Collective, and System Levels. Challenges 2023, 14, 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14010005
Pöllänen E, Osika W, Bojner Horwitz E, Wamsler C. Education for Sustainability: Understanding Processes of Change across Individual, Collective, and System Levels. Challenges. 2023; 14(1):5. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14010005
Chicago/Turabian StylePöllänen, Elin, Walter Osika, Eva Bojner Horwitz, and Christine Wamsler. 2023. "Education for Sustainability: Understanding Processes of Change across Individual, Collective, and System Levels" Challenges 14, no. 1: 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14010005