Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Matter of Geography in Education for Sustainable Development: The Case of Danish University Geography

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Transformative Approaches to Sustainable Development at Universities

Part of the book series: World Sustainability Series ((WSUSE))

Abstract

Geographical imaginations are absolutely vital to make sense of sustainability challenges. Yet, a number of studies reveal that geography education has been slow in integrating issues of sustainability into curricula. Geography is particularly interesting in the context of ESD, due to its tradition of investigating human-environment interactions. In this paper we aim to contribute to this particular field of knowledge by providing an empirical analysis of ESD in Danish University Geography. In this paper it is examined how programs in Geography in higher education have taken different approaches to addressing issues of sustainability. Then, it is examined how geographers articulate their role and function as to addressing issues of sustainability. It is concluded that, though geographers generally are reluctant with using the concept of sustainability, and find it better serves as an implicit notion, geographers’ find their discipline contributes considerably to ESD in three ways. First, geography’s strong tradition in the human-environment theme provides a methodological basis for dealing with issues of sustainability. Second, the spatio-temporal dimensions of sustainability call for geographical approaches to be able to understand the dynamics, complexity and interactions in various scales. Third, geographers find their discipline provides an integrative knowledge platform between the natural and social sciences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adomßent M (2013) Exploring universities’ transformative potential for sustainability—bound learning in changing landscapes of knowledge communication. J Clean Prod 49:11–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bednarz R (2006) Environmental research and education in US Geography. J Geogr Higher Educ 30(2):237–250. doi:10.1080/03098260600717315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkeland IJ (1998) Nature and the ‘cultural turn’ in human Geography. Norw J Geogr 52:221–228. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00291959808552402

  • Chalkley B (2006) Education for sustainable development: continuation. J Geogr Higher Educ 30(2):235–236. doi:10.1080/03098260600717307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark B, Button C (2011) Sustainability transdisciplinary education model: Interface of arts, science, and community (STEM). Int J Sustain High Educ 12(1):41–54. doi:10.1108/14676371111098294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cotton D, Winter J, Bailey J (2013) Researching the hidden curriculum: intentional and unintended messages. J Geogr Higher Educ 37(2):192–203. doi:10.1080/03098265.2012.733684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EU Commission (2009) The bologna process 2020—the european higher education area in the new decade communiqué of the conference of european ministers responsible for higher education. Leuven and Louvain-la- Neuve

    Google Scholar 

  • Firth R (2011) The nature of ESD through geography. Teach Geogr 36(1):14–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzsimmons M (1989) The matter of nature. Antipode 21(2):106–120. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8330.1989.tb00183.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graz Declaration (2005) UNESCO

    Google Scholar 

  • Grindsted TS, Holm T (2012) Thematic development of declarations on Sustainability in Higher Education. Environ Econ 3(1):32–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Grindsted TS (2013) From the human-environment theme towards sustainability—danish geography and education for sustainable development. Eur J Geogr 4(3):6–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgitt D (2006) Finding space for education for sustainable development in the enterprise economy. J Geogr Higher Educ 30(2):251–262. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03098260600717331

  • Holm T, Samalisto K, Virio T, Grindsted TS (2012) A model for enhancing Education for sustainabel development—examples from the nordic countries. In: Leal F (ed) Sustainable development at Universities: New horizons, Peter Lang

    Google Scholar 

  • Huckle J (2002) Reconstructing nature: towards a geographical education for sustainable development. Geography 87(1):64–72

    Google Scholar 

  • International Charter on Geographical Education (1992) The commission on geographical education of the international geographical union (IGU CGE)

    Google Scholar 

  • International Declaration on Geographical Education for Cultural Diversity (2000) The commission on geographical education of the international geographical union (IGU CGE)

    Google Scholar 

  • Karatzoglou B (2013) An in-depth literature review of the evolving roles and contributions of universities to Education for Sustainable Development. J CLEAN PROD, 49:44--53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.07.043

  • Kidman G, Papadimitriou F (2012) Content analysis of international research in geographical and environmental education: 18 years of academic publishing. Int Res Geogr Environ Educ 21(1):3–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2012.639152

  • Lambert D, Morgan J (2009) Corrupting the curriculum? the case of geography. London Rev Educ 7(2):147–157. doi:10.1080/14748460902990419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lozano R, Lukman R, Lozano F, Huisingh D, Lambrechts W (2013) Declarations for sustainability in higher education: becoming better leaders, through addressing the university system. J Clean Prod 48:10–19. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.10.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lui L (2011) Where in the world of sustainability education is US geography. J Geogr Higher Educ, 35(2):245–263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2010.548086

  • Lucerne Declaration (2007) International geographical union commission on geographical education (IGU CGE). Geographiedidaktische Forsch 42:243—250

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan A (2011) Sustaining ESD in geography. Teach Geogr 36(1):6–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordic Council of Ministers (2009) Hållbar utveckling—En ny kurs för Norden, Köpenhamn

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordic Council of Ministers (2011) Kunnskap for grønn vekst og velferd (MR-U) strategi for utdannings- og forskningsområdet i perioden 2011–2013, Köpenhamn

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen K, Arle F (2010) Interdisciplinarity at the Human-Environment Interface. Dan J Geogr 110(1):37–45. doi:10.1080/00167223.2010.10669495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reinfried S (2009) Education for sustainable development and the lucerne declaration. Int Res Geogr Environ Educ 18(4):229–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sayer A (2009) Geography and global warming: can capitalism be greened? Roy Geogr Soc 41(3):350–353. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4762.2008.00867

  • Stoddard DR (1987) To claim the high ground: geography for the end of the century. Institute of British Geographers, NS 12:327–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner B (2002) Contested identities: Human-environment geography and disciplinary implications in a restructuring academy. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 92(1):52–74. doi:10.1111/1467-8306.00279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wals EJA (2014) Sustainability in higher education in the context of the UN DESD: a review of learning and institutionalization processes. J Cleaner Prod 62:8–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.06.007

  • Westaway J (2009) A sustainable future for geography? Geography 94(1):4–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Yarnal B, Neff R (2004) Whither parity? The need for a comprehensive curriculum in human-environment geography. Prof Geogr 56(1):28–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerer KS (2010) Retrospective on nature–society geography: tracing trajectories (1911–2010) and reflecting on translations. Annal Assoc Am Geogr 100 (5):1076–1094. doi:10.1080/00045608.2010.523343

Additional Reference List

  • Interview with Maria Helena Nazaré (2012) the European University Associations Annual Conference

    Google Scholar 

  • In depth interviews (2012) with the chair of the Study Boards in Geography at Aalborg University, Department of Development and Planning; Copenhagen University, Department of Geography and Geology; Roskilde University, Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change

    Google Scholar 

  • Interviews (2012) with 31 of 42 full time associate professors and professors allocated education of geography at Aalborg, Copenhagen and Roskilde University

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for geography at Roskilde University (2005) Bachelor, Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for geography at Roskilde University (2006) Bachelor and Master, Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for geography at Copenhagen University (2009a) Bachelor, Department for Geography and Geology

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for geography at Copenhagen University (2009b) Master, Department for Geography and Geology

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for geography at Aalborg University (2010a) Bachelor, Department of Development and Planning

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for geography at Aalborg University (2010b) Master, Department of Development and Planning

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for geography at Aalborg University (2011) Bachelor, Department of Development and Planning

    Google Scholar 

  • Study regulation for integrative geography at Aalborg University (2010) Master, Department of Development and Planning

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change, Roskilde University, University Road 1, Building 02, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Thomas Skou Grindsted

Authors
  1. Thomas Skou Grindsted
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Skou Grindsted .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environmental Science, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Grindsted, T.S. (2015). The Matter of Geography in Education for Sustainable Development: The Case of Danish University Geography. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Transformative Approaches to Sustainable Development at Universities. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08837-2_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation