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“Sustainability” in higher education: from doublethink and newspeak to critical thinking and meaningful learning

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Abstract

It is higher education's responsibility continuously to challenge and critique value and knowledge claims that have prescriptive tendencies. Part of this responsibility lies in engaging students in socio-scientific disputes. The ill-defined nature of sustainability manifests itself in such disputes when conflicting values, norms, interests, and reality constructions meet. This makes sustainability—its need for contextualization and the debate surrounding it—pivotal for higher education. It offers an opportunity for reflection on the mission of our universities and colleges, but also a chance to enhance the quality of the learning process. This article explores both the overarching goals and process of higher education from an emancipatory view and with regard to sustainability.

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Notes

  1. We wish to acknowledge the input of Wout Van den Bor and Peter Holen who have been instrumental in distilling the lessons learnt from various AFANet activities that took place within the topic ‘Integrating Sustainability in Higher Agricultural Education’. These lessons learnt can also be found in Van den Bor, Holen, and Wals (2000).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences, Communication & Innovation Studies Group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, Netherlands

    Arjen E J Wals

  2. Arts and Science Division, Yukon College, P.O. Box 2799, Whitehorse, Y1A 5K4, Yukon, Canada

    Bob Jickling

Authors
  1. Arjen E J Wals
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  2. Bob Jickling
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Correspondence to Arjen E J Wals.

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Wals, A., Jickling, B. “Sustainability” in higher education: from doublethink and newspeak to critical thinking and meaningful learning. High Educ Policy 15, 121–131 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0952-8733(02)00003-X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0952-8733(02)00003-X

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