Contesting 'Environment' Through the Lens of Sustainability: Examining Implications for Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

This article reflects on implications of presenting nature as a social construction, and of commodification of nature. The social construction of nature tends to limit significance of nature to human perception of it. Commodification presents nature in strict instrumental terms as 'natural reso...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Helen Kopnina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Linköping University Electronic Press 2014-10-01
Series:Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.146931
Description
Summary:This article reflects on implications of presenting nature as a social construction, and of commodification of nature. The social construction of nature tends to limit significance of nature to human perception of it. Commodification presents nature in strict instrumental terms as 'natural resources', 'natural capital' or 'ecosystem services'. Both construction and commodification exhibit anthropocentric bias in denying intrinsic value of non-human species. This article will highlight the im-portance of a deep ecology perspective, by elaborating upon the ethical context in which construction and commodification of nature occur. Finally, this article will discuss the implications of this ethical context in relation to environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD).
ISSN:2000-1525