Abstract
As a bridging discipline between the humanities, social and physical sciences, the claim by Geography that it focuses on interactions between the ‘human’ and ‘natural’ world, positions it well to play a leading role in Education for Sustainability (EfS). Despite the prominence of the twenty-first century environmental dilemma and the increasing importance of sustainability and associated discourses, the international literature provides evidence that not all geographers attach the same importance to the synergy between the human-environment identity of the discipline and sustainability and thus do not necessarily align their teaching and research accordingly. As highlighted in the international literature, the extent of the contribution by Geography to EfS depends on the interpretation of the human-environment identity by geographers and how this is transferred to students during their undergraduate studies. Utilising undergraduate curriculum information obtained from 19 departments of Geography in South Africa, this chapter reflects on the dominance of the dualistic treatment of the human-environment identity in Geography curricula through the separation between Human and Physical Geography. However, Integrated/Thematic Geography, through which the human-environment identity is approached in a more holistic way, is under-represented in the curriculum. This largely one-sided approach to the human-environment identity in South African undergraduate Geography curricula may lead to over-simplified conceptualisations of the twenty-first century issues humankind is grappling with, and cannot be afforded much longer. The paper concludes with some options for transformation of Geography to move from the dualistic treatment of nature and society towards a more integrated approach, which will not only be true to the higher goal of the discipline, but also increase its utility in the context of EfS. This transformation which will ensure a continued role for the discipline in the increasingly cross-disciplinary context in which teaching, learning and research has to be conducted in order to be relevant in the twenty-first century.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). (2012). STARS version 1.2 technical manual. http://www.aashe.org/files/documents/STARS/stars_1.2_technical_manual.pdf. Last Accessed 6 Sept 2016.
Brown, B. C. (2005). Theory and practice of integral sustainable development. Part 1—Quadrants and the practitioner. AQAL: Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, 1(2), 1–36.
Bonney, M. J. (2012). An empirical analysis of the role of geography in sustainability education (Unpublished M.Sc. Dissertation). Southern Illinois University, p. 78.
Castree, N. (2012). Progressing physical geography. Progress in Physical Geography, 36(3), 298–304.
Castree, N. (2015). Geography and global change science: Relationships necessary, absent, and possible. Geographical Research, 53(1), 1–15.
Demeritt, D. (2009). Geography and the promise of integrative environmental research. Geoforum, 40(2), 127–129.
Esbjörn-Hargens, S. (2005). Integral ecology: The what, who, and how of environmental phenomena. World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research, 61(1–2), 5–49.
Esbjörn-Hargens, S. (2006). Integral research: A multi-method approach to investigating phenomena. Constructivism in the Human Sciences, 11(1/2), 88–116.
Esbjörn-Hargens, S. (2009). An overview of integral theory: An all-inclusive framework for the 21st century. Resource paper No. 1. https://www.integrallife.com/integral-post/overview-integral-theory. Last Accessed 23 Jan 2015.
Esbjörn-Hargens, S. (2010). An ontology of climate change: Integral pluralism and the enactment of multiple objects. AQAL: Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, 5(1), 143–174.
Fairhurst, U. J., Davies, R. J., Fox, R. C., Ramutsindela, M. R., Goldschagg, P., Bob, U., et al. (2003). Geography: The state of the discipline in South Africa (2000–2001). South African Geographical Journal, 85(2), 81–89.
Godeman, J. (2008). Knowledge integration: A key challenge for transdisciplinary cooperation. Environmental Education Research, 14(6), 625–641.
Gress, D. R., & Tschapka, J. M. (2017). Bridging geography and education for sustainable development: A Korean example. Journal of Geography, 116(1), 34–43.
Grindsted, T. S. (2013, October). From the human-environment theme towards sustainability—Danish geography and education for sustainable development. European Journal of Geography, 4(3), 6–20.
Grindsted, T. S. (2015a). Educating geographers in an era of the Anthropocene: Paradoxical natures—paradoxical cultures. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 320–329.
Grindsted, T. S. (2015b). The matter of geography in education for sustainable development: The case of Danish University Geography. In W. Leal Filho (Ed.), Transformative approaches to sustainable development at universities (‘world sustainability series’) (p. 603). Heidelberg: Springer.
Harden, C. (2012). Framing and reframing questions of human-environment interactions. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 102(4), 737–747.
Harvey, D. (1969). Explanation in geography (p. 486). London: Edward Arnold.
Jahn, M., Haspel, M., & Siegmund, A. (2011). Glokal change: Geography meets remote sensing in the context of the education for sustainable development. European Journal of Geography, 2(2), 21–34.
Laszlo, E. (2008). Quantum shift in the global brain: How the new scientific reality can change us and our world (p. 185). Rochester: Inner Traditions.
Leal Filho, W., Brandli, L. L., Becker, D., Skanavis, C., Kounanie, A., Sardif, C., Papaioannidou, D., Paco, A., Azeiteiro, U. M., de Sousa, L., Raath, S., Pretorius, R. W., Shiel, C., Vargas, V., Trencher, G., & Marans, R. W. (2018). Sustainable development policies as indicators and pre-conditions for sustainability efforts at universities: Fact or fiction? International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, in press.
Levasseur, T. (2014, December). Teaching sustainability via the environmental humanities: Studying water, studying ourselves. Journal of Sustainability Education, 7.
Liu, L. (2011). Where in the world of sustainability education is US geography? Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 35(2), 245–263.
Manteaw, O. O. (2012). Education for sustainable development in Africa: The search for pedagogical logic. International Journal of Educational Development, 32(3), 376–383.
McCarthy, J., & Rogerson, C. (1992). Geography in a changing South Africa: An introduction. In J. McCarthy & C. Rogerson (Eds.), Geography in a changing South Africa: Progress and prospects (p. 306). Cape Town: Oxford University Press.
Mpofu, S. I. (2015). An instructor’s experience: Implementing sustainable development in the curriculum. In W. Leal Filho, U. M. Azieteiro, & S. Caeiro (Eds.), Integrating sustainability thinking into science and engineering curricula—Innovative approaches, methods and tools (‘world sustainability series’) (p. 630). Heidelberg: Springer.
Nicolau, M. D., & Davis, N. C. (2002). Restructuring South African Geography. South African Geographical Journal, 84(1), 12–20.
Oelofse, C., & Scott, D. (2002). Geography and environmental management in South Africa. South African Geographical Journal, 84(1), 38–47.
O’Brien, K. (2010). Responding to environmental change: A new age for human geography? Progress in Human Geography, 35(4), 542–549.
Pretorius, R.W. (2017). Repositioning geography in education for sustainability: The South African higher education context (Unpublished Ph.D. thesis). University of South Africa, Pretoria, p. 313.
Ramutsindela, M. F. (2001). The shifting sand of geography in South Africa. Norwegian Journal of Geography, 55(1), 34–37.
Ramutsindela, M. F. (2002). The philosophy of progress and South African geography. South African Geographical Journal, 84(1), 4–11.
Rose, G. (2000). Hybridity. In R. J. Johnston, D. Gregory, G. Pratt, & M. Watts (Eds.), The dictionary of human geography (p. 976p). Oxford: Blackwell.
Sandham, L. A., & Retief, F. P. (2016). The contribution of Geography to Environmental Assessment (EA) practice and research in South Africa. South African Geographical Journal, 98(3), 450–460.
Simanden, D. (2002). On what it takes to be a good geographer. Area, 34(3), 284–293.
Simon, D. (1994). Putting South Africa(n geography) back into Africa. Area, 26(3), 296–300.
Skole, L. (2004). Geography as a great intellectual melting pot and the preeminent interdisciplinary environmental discipline. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 94(4), 739–743.
Smith, T. (2011). Using critical systems thinking to foster an integrated approach to sustainability: A proposal for development practitioners. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 13(1), 1–16.
Sui, D., & DeLyser, D. (2012). Crossing the qualitative-quantitative chasm I: Hybrid geographies, the spatial turn, and volunteered geographic information (VGI). Progress in Human Geography, 36(1), 111–124.
Turner, B. L. (2002). Contested identities: Human-environment geography and disciplinary implications in a restructuring academy. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 92(1), 52–74.
Yarnal, B., & Neff, R. (2004). Whither parity? The need for a comprehensive curriculum in human-environment geography. The Professional Geographer, 56(1), 28–36.
Ziegler, A. D., Gillen, J., Newell, B., Grundy-Warr, C., & Wasson, R. J. (2013). Comprehensive research in Geography. Area, 45(2), 252–254.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pretorius, R. (2019). Towards an Integrated Disciplinary Narrative and an Enhanced Role for Geography in Education for Sustainability: Reflections on South African Higher Education. In: Leal Filho, W., Consorte McCrea, A. (eds) Sustainability and the Humanities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95336-6_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95336-6_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95335-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-95336-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)