As ecological issues increase and concern worldwide is mounting about the changing nature of work and cultural life, the field of adult education must respond. Adult education holds much potential for its ability to highlight cultural knowledge, promote change, and maximize the capacity of adults to work together in strengthening mutually supportive communities that contribute to a sustainable future. It is imperative that we (re)educate adults about productive but sustainable work and stronger local community living within an understanding of the relational being and the interdependency of all things. This edited collection explores the cultural roots of the ecological/cultural crisis and its relationship to adult education. The development of sound practices and new cultural understandings among adults are emphasized. Certainly, there exists evidence of small grassroots work that builds hope and skills for the coming of a new age of sustainable and just life. This volume discusses the: Connections between sustainability, environmental and ecojustice education, Forms of radical sustainability adult education, Established cultural institutions as potential agents of change, Principles of ecojustice education, and Implementation of these principles in formal and community education settings. This is the 153rd volume of the Jossey Bass series New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Noted for its depth of coverage, it explores issues of common interest to instructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in a broad range of education settings, such as colleges and universities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, and museums.

As ecological issues increase and concern worldwide is mounting about the changing nature of work and cultural life, the field of adult education must respond. Adult education holds much potential for its ability to highlight cultural knowledge, promote change, and maximize the capacity of adults to work together in strengthening mutually supportive communities that contribute to a sustainable future. It is imperative that we (re)educate adults about productive but sustainable work and stronger local community living within an understanding of the relational being and the interdependency of all things. This edited collection explores the cultural roots of the ecological/cultural crisis and its relationship to adult education. The development of sound practices and new cultural understandings among adults are emphasized. Certainly, there exists evidence of small grassroots work that builds hope and skills for the coming of a new age of sustainable and just life. This volume discusses the: Connections between sustainability, environmental and ecojustice education, Forms of radical sustainability adult education, Established cultural institutions as potential agents of change, Principles of ecojustice education, and Implementation of these principles in formal and community education settings. This is the 153rd volume of the Jossey Bass series New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Noted for its depth of coverage, it explores issues of common interest to instructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in a broad range of education settings, such as colleges and universities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, and museums.

This timely book explores the sustainable development goals, how well universities have been able to integrate them into their curriculum, and how universities can institutionalize the goals and sustainable development into their strategic plans and institutional culture

This edited volume extends ecological approaches to curriculum theory by recognizing and building on the contributions of the late Chet A. Bowers to curriculum and ecological studies globally. Chapters provide in-depth explanation of Bowers’ central contributions to the field, including his identification of the linguistic roots of ecological degradation; the need for school curricula to support sustainability; and the principles of cultural commons, eco-justice, and ecological intelligence. Building on these ideas and emphasizing the links between curriculum studies, social justice, and environmental education, the text illustrates how Bowers’ ideas must now inform future approaches to schooling, teacher education, research, and Indigenous communities to guard against the global ecological crises we now face. This text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in curriculum studies, sustainability education, and environmental studies in particular. Those interested in the sociology of education, educational change, and school reform will also benefit from the book.

This book lays out the principles and practices of transformative sustainability education using a relational way of thinking and being. Elizabeth A. Lange advocates for a new approach to environmental and sustainability education, that of rethinking the Western way of knowing and being and engendering a frank discussion about the societal elements that are generating climate, environmental, economic, and social issues. Highlighting the importance of Indigenous and life-giving cultures, the book covers educational theory, transformation stories of adult learners, social and economic critique, and visions of changemakers. Each chapter also has a strong pedagogical element, with entry points for learners and embodied practices and examples of taking action at micro/meso/macro levels woven throughout. Overall, this book enacts a relational approach to transformative sustainability education that draws from post humanist theory, process thought, relational ontology, decolonization theory, Indigenous philosophy, and a spirituality that builds a sense of sacred towards the living world. Written in an imaginative, storytelling manner, this book will be a great resource for formal and nonformal environmental and sustainability educators.

We believe in social justice. We support educational reform. Yet unless we reframe our approaches to both, says C. A. Bowers, the social justice attained through educational reform will only lead to more intractable forms of consumerism and further impoverishment of our communities. In Educating for Eco-Justice and Community Bowers outlines a strategy for educational reform that confronts the rapid degradation of our ecosystems by renewing the face-to-face, intergenerational traditions that can serve as alternatives to our hyper-consumerist, technology-driven worldview. Bowers explains how current technological and progressive programs of educational reform operate on deep cultural assumptions that came out of the Enlightenment and led to the Industrial Revolution. These beliefs frame our relationship with nature in adversarial terms, view progress as inevitable, and elevate the individual over community, expertise over intergenerational knowledge, and profit over reciprocity. By making eco-justice a priority of educational reform, we can begin to: democratize developments in science and technology in ways that eliminate eco-racism; reverse the global processes that are worsening the economic and political inequities between the hemispheres; expose the cultural forces that turn aspects of daily life--from education and entertainment to work and leisure--into market-dependent relationships; uplift knowledge and traditions of intergenerationally connected communities; and develop a sense of moral responsibility for the long-term consequences of our excessive material demands. In the tradition of Wendell Berry, David Orr, and Kirkpatrick Sale, Bowers thinks about our place in the natural world and the current economies to show how we can reform education and create a less consumer-driven society.

EcoJustice Education offers a powerful model for cultural ecological analysis and a pedagogy of responsibility, providing teachers and teacher educators with the information and classroom practices they need to help develop citizens who are prepared to support and achieve diverse, democratic, and sustainable societies in an increasingly globalized world. Readers are asked to consider curricular strategies to bring these issues to life in their own classrooms across disciplines. Designed for introductory educational foundations and multicultural education courses, the text is written in a narrative, conversational style grounded in place and experience, but also pushes students to examine the larger ideological, social, historical, and political contexts of the crises humans and the planet we inhabit are facing. Pedagogical features in each chapter include a Conceptual Toolbox, activities accompanying the theoretical content, examples of lessons and teacher reflections, and suggested readings, films, and links. The Second Edition features a new chapter on Anthropocentrism; new material on Heterosexism; updated statistics and examples throughout; new and updated Companion Website content.