The culture of care and sense of belonging as drivers of sustainability in higher education

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine how a culture of care and sense of belonging are related to environmental behavior and how it can be fostered in higher education. To support this analysis, the concepts and the ways of strengthening the sense of care and belonging are discussed based on literature and experiences developed on a campus of the University of Brasilia, Brazil. The physical environment and participation tools on campus are presented, as well as the results of a survey on the perception of the academic community about the quality of life on campus, answered by 10.5% of the campus population. The quality of life on campus was rated as good or excellent by 90% of respondents. The feeling of personal responsibility in taking care of people and in the campus environment was confirmed by 41% of respondents. We relate this perception to the community's participation in outreach and sustainability programs. Sustainability policies in higher education must prioritize the promotion of a culture of care and sense of belonging. These values are essential for the humanistic education of postsecondary students in a planetary reality that must be radically transformed, aiming at the transition to sustainable societies.