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Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study
Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2008
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| _version_ | 1867613741398360064 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Beyers, Christelle |
| author2 | Annecke, Eve |
| author_browse | Annecke, Eve Beyers, Christelle |
| author_facet | Annecke, Eve Beyers, Christelle |
| author_sort | Beyers, Christelle |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2548 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:58.109Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2008 |
| publishDateRange | 2008 |
| publishDateSort | 2008 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2548 Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study Beyers, Christelle Annecke, Eve Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Management and Planning. Sustainable development Nature and nurture Symbolism Effect of human beings on nature Environmental education Waldorf method of education Dissertations -- Public management and planning Theses -- Public management and planning School of Public Management and Planning Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. In a modern world of fragmentation and embedded dualisms, access to the imagination and creativity seems minimal, especially in science. Human beings and nature, science and the imagination (art), and spirit and matter (body) – these dualisms permeate our sciences and other disciplines, as well as the way we envision the future and educate children about the environment. Sustainability positions a key debate for the future and mediates intergenerational equity (it thus in a way captures the future). Sustainability further proposes an ecological approach wherein systems thinking, holism and the exploration of new (extended) forms of knowledge are subtly starting to reshape the future outlook of the planet. A personal reflection on my own alternative learning process with the Sustainability Institute (SI) resulted in a deep concern and intrigue about the symbolic base of sustainability learning. Imagination, art (stories) and symbols played an intrinsic role in how I integrated many of the empirical and non-empirical, as well as scientific and meta-physical, aspects of the learning. These intrigues led me to explore the nurturing education opportunities that might exist for children to engage with the imagination, art and alternative aspects of education as integrative aspects in learning. Waldorf education claims to use stories in this regard. Waldorf education – together with a review of the role of environmental education – is the case study of this research. This is an inherently transdisciplinary study and, although literature in the separate fields abounds, a comprehensive literature review conducted for this study revealed a gap in research related to the interface between areas of symbolism, sustainability and education (“symbolism-in-sustainability-in-education”). The study is underpinned by the following fields: • Sustainability (with a strong focus on environmental ethics) • Literature (traditional stories) • Psychology (psychoanalytical and environmental psychology) • Education (environmental, Waldorf and finally sustainability or ecological education) This study thus explores the role of the imagination and symbolism, both being ontologically recognised, as well as stories to integrate some of the dualisms prevalent in our modern world, dualisms that are contributing to the reigning ecological crisis. In addition, it focuses on the role of these functionalities to access and open up other forms of knowing in science (with particular application to the built environment/ and planning), which supports the claims of sustainability and sustainability science. I conclude by briefly highlighting a pattern that proposes a way of connecting the ideas in this study in support of ecological education (the future) – and thus sustainability – in an enduring and deep-seated way that is intrinsically human[nature]. Masters 2008-06-25T07:55:53Z 2010-06-01T08:51:55Z 2008-06-25T07:55:53Z 2010-06-01T08:51:55Z 2008-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2548 en Stellenbosch University application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Sustainable development Nature and nurture Symbolism Effect of human beings on nature Environmental education Waldorf method of education Dissertations -- Public management and planning Theses -- Public management and planning School of Public Management and Planning Beyers, Christelle Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study |
| title | Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study |
| title_full | Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study |
| title_short | Exploring a sustainability imagination : a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study |
| title_sort | exploring a sustainability imagination a perspective on the integrating and visioning role of stories and symbolism in sustainability through an alternative education case study |
| topic | Sustainable development Nature and nurture Symbolism Effect of human beings on nature Environmental education Waldorf method of education Dissertations -- Public management and planning Theses -- Public management and planning School of Public Management and Planning |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2548 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT beyerschristelle exploringasustainabilityimaginationaperspectiveontheintegratingandvisioningroleofstoriesandsymbolisminsustainabilitythroughanalternativeeducationcasestudy |