Exploring Sociology of Education in the Promotion of Sustainability Literacy in Higher Education

Abstract

Sustainability, sustainable development and education for sustainable development are increasingly central concepts, both in social practice and in the field of scientific knowledge. Sociology, and in particular Sociology of Education as a specialised Sociology, can provide relevant contributions in its promotion. This article aims to explore the importance of Sociology of Education in promoting sustainability literacy in higher education, using the Sustainable Development Goals and key competencies (United Nations and UNESCO) as the central reference in this field, and intends, thus, to become an added contribution for this discussion. The article seeks to demonstrate that the learning of sustainability literacy would benefit from the use of a sociological stance throughout this whole process that considers dimensions that are often not directly emphasised and articulated between each other, such as: interconnection of scale levels, sociological imagination, multi-paradigmatic nature, heuristic interdisciplinarity, reflexivity and use of Sociology for action.

Literacy: Promoting Sustainability in a Digital Society

“…Nowadays, this concept covers a wide range of areas. At the same time, the concept of sustainability emerges, which is a very fashionable topic today (Mensah, 2019;Serpa & Sá , 2019). This complex concept, which has many meanings, is defined by Sartori, Latrônico and Campos (2014, pp.…”

“…Digital literacy is, thus, central to the development of sustainable literacy (Serpa & Sá , 2019), inasmuch that "the knowledge, skills, and mindsets that help compel an individual to become deeply committed to building a sustainable future and allow him or her to make informed and effective decisions to this end" (Dé camps et al, 2017;in Serpa & Sá , 2019, p. 103).…”

“…In the promotion of these two types of literacy (digital and sustainability), the mobilization of different scientific disciplines (Serpa, Ferreira, & Santos, 2017;Serpa & Sá , 2019) is a relevant factor to be considered, given that digital acts are not socially natural, neutral or automatically equitable (Gladden, 2019;Mensah, 2019).…”

“…Mensah (2019) sustains that, "Sustainable development centres around inter-and intragenerational equity anchored essentially on three-dimensional distinct but interconnected pillars, namely the environment, economy, and society.Decision-makers need to be constantly mindful of the relationships, complementarities, and trade-offs among these pillars and ensure responsible human behaviour and actions at the international, national, community and individual levels in order to uphold and promote the tenets of this paradigm in the interest of human development" (pp. 1-2).Sustainability is the result of a tripod, based on social sustainability, economic sustainability and environmental sustainability(Serpa & Sá , 2019), whichMensah (2019, p. 8), citing Wanamaker (2018), presents as follows (Figure 2): Relationships between Social, Environmental and Economic Sustainability Source: Wanamaker (2018), cited in Mesah (2019, p. 8).…”

Young Romanians’ Transition from School to Work in a Path Dependence Context

“…In this context, it is obvious that, in order to secure the future of the world, education must turn its face to sustainability, changing from transmissive to transformative learning, in order to better understand the ecological worldview and further contribute to ecologically sustainable societies [21]. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) documents [22] quoted by Reference [23], Education for Sustainable Development involves eight important key competencies for sustainability, including systems thinking competency, strategic competency, collaboration or the very important integrated problem-solving competency, which is the ability to develop viable, inclusive, and equitable options that promote sustainable development. UNESCO demonstrates that education is vital to promoting sustainable development goals (SDGs) and sustainability skills and proposes 17 such SDGs, among which we can mention, in close connection with the topic of this article, SDG 4, on quality education, the provision of inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all, as well as SDG 8, on decent work and growth, promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all [22,24].…”