By John Blewitt

• Your house is flooded by a rain-swollen river. What do you learn from this experience? Do you shrug your shoulders and call your insurer? Or do you choose to learn about climate change, switch to renewable energy and lobby politicians?
• This book is a groundbreaking examination of how learning in everyday environments - business, work, home, community life - is key to improving society and achieving sustainability
• Ideal for educators, teachers, corporate trainers and consultants working to integrate environmental education, sustainability and innovation in non-traditional learning situations

How can we understand and achieve sustainability? How can we re-school society towards sustainability? Throughout life we learn, we develop meanings and connections, and we act. This book explores the possibilities for developing a sustainable society through ‘lifelong learning’ - that is, learning that happens in everyday environments and activities as diverse as shopping, community, ‘edutainment’, information and communication technology, the internet, broadcasting, people’s experience of place and space, green building, social networks and consumer culture.

Drawing on a range of sociological, anthropological and educational studies as well as new research The Ecology of Learning provides a broad trans-disciplinary understanding of the topic. The coverage is impressive with an accessible but informed engagement with both theory and practice and a wide range of examples. The voices, stories and experiences of many people are used to illustrate the ways people may reshape our understanding of learning and sustainability.

Related titles

The Sustainability Curriculum (2004) 1-85383-949-3
Participatory Workshops (2002) 1-85383-863-2

Author information

John Blewitt is Director of Lifelong Learning and Professional Studies, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Exeter and co-editor of The Sustainability Curriculum (2004).

Contents

Introduction: The Story of the Flood • Learning as Sustainability • Sustainability and the Practice of Everyday Life • Sustainability, Learning and Environmental Mediascapes • Learning through Landscapes – Neighbourhood, Space and Community • Learning Networks and Community Action • Sustainability Learning through Leisure • Work, Futures and Lifelong Learning • Reschooling Society? • Epilogue • Appendix on Method • Bibliography

Bibliographic Details

Paperback £22.95 ISBN: 1844072045
Hardback £80.00 ISBN: 1844072037
Publication date: September 2006
224 pages; 234 x 156mm; Photographs, figures, index