Reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life

In this paper we review the current policy approach to skills and knowledge for sustainable communities. The aspatial and target-led nature of these approaches around the attainment of fixed skill sets is discussed and then contrasted with educationalist literatures which provide an alternative peda...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Franklin, A, Newton, J, Middleton, J, Marsden, T
Format: Journal article
Published: Pion 2011
_version_ 1826272927909150720
author Franklin, A
Newton, J
Middleton, J
Marsden, T
author_facet Franklin, A
Newton, J
Middleton, J
Marsden, T
author_sort Franklin, A
collection OXFORD
description In this paper we review the current policy approach to skills and knowledge for sustainable communities. The aspatial and target-led nature of these approaches around the attainment of fixed skill sets is discussed and then contrasted with educationalist literatures which provide an alternative pedagogical approach to learning. That is, one that places a much greater emphasis on ‘learners’ as individuals and ‘learning’ as achieved through experience. The role and influence of people in place are implicit within these ‘learner-centred’ models. This reflects an understanding of the need to approach learning strategies in a way that relates to people’s everyday lives. Drawing on ongoing empirical research conducted in the English town of Stroud (Gloucestershire, UK), we demonstrate some of the insights which can be gained from understanding skills and knowledge for sustainable communities in the context of these more experiential and process-orientated approaches. We do so by looking at the accounts and practices not of professionals, but of community members who are actively engaged with sustainable communities initiatives. We explore the relationships between their knowledge and understandings of sustainability and how they have sought to encompass and actively develop principles of sustainable communities as part of their everyday lives.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T22:20:18Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:54cf8e3f-efc8-4f90-b672-cb952e87ec7b
institution University of Oxford
last_indexed 2024-03-06T22:20:18Z
publishDate 2011
publisher Pion
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:54cf8e3f-efc8-4f90-b672-cb952e87ec7b2022-03-26T16:40:07ZReconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday lifeJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:54cf8e3f-efc8-4f90-b672-cb952e87ec7bTransport Studies UnitPion2011Franklin, ANewton, JMiddleton, JMarsden, TIn this paper we review the current policy approach to skills and knowledge for sustainable communities. The aspatial and target-led nature of these approaches around the attainment of fixed skill sets is discussed and then contrasted with educationalist literatures which provide an alternative pedagogical approach to learning. That is, one that places a much greater emphasis on ‘learners’ as individuals and ‘learning’ as achieved through experience. The role and influence of people in place are implicit within these ‘learner-centred’ models. This reflects an understanding of the need to approach learning strategies in a way that relates to people’s everyday lives. Drawing on ongoing empirical research conducted in the English town of Stroud (Gloucestershire, UK), we demonstrate some of the insights which can be gained from understanding skills and knowledge for sustainable communities in the context of these more experiential and process-orientated approaches. We do so by looking at the accounts and practices not of professionals, but of community members who are actively engaged with sustainable communities initiatives. We explore the relationships between their knowledge and understandings of sustainability and how they have sought to encompass and actively develop principles of sustainable communities as part of their everyday lives.
spellingShingle Franklin, A
Newton, J
Middleton, J
Marsden, T
Reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life
title Reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life
title_full Reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life
title_fullStr Reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life
title_full_unstemmed Reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life
title_short Reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life
title_sort reconnecting skills for sustainable communities with everyday life
work_keys_str_mv AT franklina reconnectingskillsforsustainablecommunitieswitheverydaylife
AT newtonj reconnectingskillsforsustainablecommunitieswitheverydaylife
AT middletonj reconnectingskillsforsustainablecommunitieswitheverydaylife
AT marsdent reconnectingskillsforsustainablecommunitieswitheverydaylife