Embargo Period

5-10-2018

Degree Name

MA in Sustainable Development

First Advisor

Dr. Mokhtar Bouba

Second Advisor

Karen Blanchard

Abstract

Many educators agree that to learning about sustainability and discussing it’s implications on values, ethics and the role of humans are essential. With so many moving parts it is difficult to determine a sustainable assessment to encompass the changing world. The time has come for us to ask reflective questions about what exactly sustainability means. How has the term sustainability been used worldwide? What was the goal of sustainability and what is the result? Is there a better alternative to achieving this goal? By identifying the characteristics of best practice for sustainability, we take a step towards understanding the concept of sustainability and the processes embodied in it. I argue that there is a need for a universal understanding of sustainability. Although the quest for subjectivity has spread throughout the development context, the need to be objective in speaking the universal truth is vital to overcoming ideological differences. This paper identifies the barriers to having a shared meaning of sustainability. Such understandings are important in re-evaluating the definition and tools used in achieving sustainability. Given the barriers and difficulties that prevent a shared understanding, the paper then explores the well-being framework as the alternative to realize the benefits that would are derived from adopting a universal meaning of sustainability.

Disciplines

Behavioral Economics | Community-Based Learning | Environmental Studies | Intellectual History | Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures | Place and Environment | Social History | Theory, Knowledge and Science

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