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Politicising ESE in postcolonial settings: the power of historical responsibility, action and ethnography.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Abstract

This article argues that the mission of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) is inherently political and that, by not acknowledging this, ESE interventions risk becoming part of the problem of sustainability rather than the solution. The article offersa theoretical framework for thinking about the (de)politicising effects of ESE rooted in three key elements: historical responsibility, action and the postcolonial condition. This framework builds on Ricoeur's phenomenology, Arendt's theory of action and the work of postcolonial scholars in arguing for a grounded understanding of ESE, which necessitates the use of ethnographic methods in ESE research.

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Keywords

Arendt, India, Politics of education, Ricoeur, South Africa, action, ethnography, historical responsibility, phenomenology, postcoloniality

Journal Title

Environ Educ Res

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1350-4622
1469-5871

Volume Title

25

Publisher

Informa UK Limited