Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Dear colleagues,

Psychology of sustainability and sustainable development represents a new research area in the field of psychology. It responds to sustainability issues that introduce a psychological contribution and promotes a trans-disciplinary perspective. This innovative psychological perspective enlarges the concept of sustainability by overcoming a perspective exclusively based on the ecological and socio-economic environment, and seeks to improve the quality of life of each human being with and in the environments. This approach overcomes the traditional framework based on the three “Es” (economy, equity, ecology) and the traditional definition of sustainability centered on “avoiding” something, in terms of exploitation, depletion, and irreversible alteration. It introduces, on the contrary, a new definition based on “promotion” of something, where the new keywords are enrichment, growth, and flexible change. Psychology of sustainability and sustainable development also introduces a new axis of psychological reflection on what is really sustainable for individuals in the environments (natural, personal, social, organizational...environments). Psychology of sustainability and sustainable development enhances the sustainability of interpersonal and intrapersonal talent as well as of group and communities, including aspects of reflexivity, meaning, purpose, and flourishing for the sustainability of projects harmonizing the different perspectives. It asks for a wide and complex vision, from personal careers and life projects to projects regarding natural, social, organizational environments. Its mission is offering contributions to promote effective and sustainable well-being for individuals and environments from a psychological research perspective.

This Special Issue is focused on the innovative contribution that psychology can make to the theme of sustainability and sustainable development. It focuses on both healthy and safe environments, and the promotion of well-being and quality of life of individuals in the different environments. The scope is to offer a framework of the current state-of-the-art of theories, and report research on the new topic of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development. The purpose is to collect and present innovative reflections and results of empirical research on this theme.

References:

1. Papers

Di Fabio, A., & Rosen, M. A. (2018). Opening the Black Box of Psychological Processes in the Science of Sustainable Development: A New Frontier. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 2(2).

Di Fabio, A., & Kenny, M. E. (2018). Connectedness to Nature, Personality Traits and Empathy from a Sustainability Perspective. Current Psychology.

Di Fabio, A. (2017a). The psychology of sustainability and sustainable development for well-being in organizations. In G. Arcangeli, G. Giorgi, N. Mucci, J.-L. Bernaud, & A. Di Fabio (Eds.), Emerging and re-emerging organizational features, work transitions and occupational risk factors: The good, the bad, the right. An interdisciplinary perspective. Research Topic in Frontiers in Psychology. Organizational Psychology, 8, 1534. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01534

Di Fabio, A. (2017b). Positive Healthy Organizations: Promoting well-being, meaningfulness, and sustainability in organizations. In G. Arcangeli, G. Giorgi, N. Mucci, J.-L. Bernaud, & A. Di Fabio (Eds.), Emerging and re-emerging organizational features, work transitions and occupational risk factors: The good, the bad, the right. An interdisciplinary perspective. Research Topic in Frontiers in Psychology. Organizational Psychology, 8(1938). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01938

Di Fabio, A., & Bucci, O. (2016). Green positive guidance and green positive life counseling for decent work and decent lives: Some empirical results. In A. Di Fabio & D. L. Blustein (Eds.), From meaning of working to meaningful lives: The challenges of expanding decent work. Research Topic in Frontiers in Psychology. Section Organizational Psychology, 7, 261. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00261

2. Invited keynote and lecture

Di Fabio, A. (2018, November). The Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development: critical empirical evidence from a new research area. Keynote at the One-Day International Conference “Strengthening Sustainability Science and its Transdisciplinary Nature: the New Area of the Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development”, University of Florence, 12 November, 2018, Florence, Italy.

Di Fabio, A. (2018, September). The Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development for decent work, innovation and social inclusion: theory, research and practice. Keynote at the One-Day International Conference “Decent work and sustainable development: the perspective of existential psychology for innovation and social inclusion”, University of Florence, 21 September, 2018, Florence, Italy.

Di Fabio, A. (2018, August). The Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development: initial evidences from empirical research. Keynote at the Second international conference “Healthier societies fostering healthy organizations: A cross-cultural perspective” University of Florence, August 30-September 1, 2018, Florence, Italy.

Di Fabio, A. (2018, July). The Psychology of Positive Healthy Organizations: the challenges of cross-cultural primary prevention for the construction of individual, contextual, group, community strengths towards harmony and sustainability. Invited keynote speaker at the Ninth International Asian Association of Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (AAICP) Conference “Promoting health, happiness and quality of life: Psychological, social and cultural perspectives”, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Malaysia Sabah, Koto Kinabalu, Malaysia, July 25-27, 2018.

Di Fabio, A. (2017, October). The challenge of Sustainability in the construction and managing of personal project for a decent work and a decent life: Psychological contributions. Invited lecture at the international symposium “Life and career designing for empowerment, sustainable development and decent work”. Chair: Jacques Pouyaud (France). Presenters: Gabriela Aisenson (Argentina), Annamaria Di Fabio (Italy), Maureen E. Kenny & David L. Blustein (USA), Guðbjörg Vilhjálmsdóttir (Iceland). International Conference “Counseling and Support. Decent work, Equity and Inclusion: Password for the present and the future”, University of Padua, Italy, October 5-7, 2017.

Di Fabio, A. (2017, September). Intrapreneurial Self-Capital, well-being and Sustainability in the XXI century: the challenge of primary prevention for healthy organizations. Invited keynote lecture at the 81^st Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association (JPA) “Responding the growing social needs and moving on to the next stage”, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan, September 20-22, 2017.

Di Fabio, A. (2016, October). How can career guidance and counseling support the development of talents? The challenge of project sustainability in the construction and managing of the personal project? Invited keynote speaker at the seminar “Supporting and Developing Talents” organized by the Euroguidance Centre Slovakia at the Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation, Bratislava, Slovakia, October 27, 2016.

Di Fabio, A. (2016, July). Constructing and managing personal project, career project, life project: the challenge of Sustainability. Invited lecture at the seminar organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, July 30, 2016.

Di Fabio, A. (2016, June). The construction of personal project: the challenge of Sustainability. In A. Di Fabio & J. G. Maree (Moderators), D. L. Blustein (Discussant). “Career-Life Construction and Sustainability”. Workshop at the World Conference of the UNESCO Chair “Lifelong Guidance and Counseling” on “Career and Life Design interventions for sustainable development and decent work”, Wroclaw 2016, University of Wroclaw (Poland), Wroclaw, Poland, 6-8 June 2016.

Di Fabio, A. (2018, August). The psychology of sustainability and sustainable development: first evidences from empirical research. Keynote at the Second international conference “Healthier societies fostering healthy organizations: A cross-cultural perspective” University of Florence, August 30-September 1, 2018, Florence, Italy.

Prof. Dr. Annamaria Di Fabio
Guest Editor

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