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Beyond Recycling: Developing “Deep” Sustainability Competence

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The Contribution of Social Sciences to Sustainable Development at Universities

Part of the book series: World Sustainability Series ((WSUSE))

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to advance a competency framework for sustainability, arguing that sustainability initiatives should move beyond basic awareness to deeper knowledge, including understanding of root causes, and development of political skills. This chapter’s discussion and critique of sustainability competence is grounded in data from more than 500 undergraduate residents’ responses to seven open-ended questions about sustainability initiatives in the residence halls; what sustainability means to them; their environmental values, attitudes, and behaviors. These data were analyzed using qualitative methods to determine students’ understanding and definition of sustainability; their green behaviors; and the impact of perceptions about sustainability on green behaviors. Along the three competency domains (awareness, knowledge, and skills), respondents’ understanding of sustainability was overwhelmingly environmental (recycling, and reducing waste), and skills did not extend beyond individual actions. Sustainability initiatives must not only develop individual-level competencies (i.e. awareness of personal consumption, reduction of personal waste and energy usage), but also equip individuals to act at institutional and structural levels (i.e. advocating for changes in policy and practices). An expanded conceptualization of sustainability competence would be useful for educators to design initiatives that deepen sustainability competence, developing students’ capacity for thinking and acting systemically.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Findings from the quantitative analysis have been reported elsewhere (see DuBois and Dubois 2010).

  2. 2.

    Residents are provided one trash receptacle and one recycling bin in every residence hall room.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Higher education administration and student personnel, Kent State University, 411 White Hall, Kent, OH 44224, USA

    Susan V. Iverson

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  1. Susan V. Iverson
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Correspondence to Susan V. Iverson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environmental Science, HAW Hamburg and Manchester Metropolitan University, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Michaela Zint

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Iverson, S.V. (2016). Beyond Recycling: Developing “Deep” Sustainability Competence. In: Leal Filho, W., Zint, M. (eds) The Contribution of Social Sciences to Sustainable Development at Universities. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26866-8_4

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