Affect and Perception: the role of aesthetics in sustainability ethics and education

In recent studies about education for sustainability, there has been growing recognition of the necessity of integrating different forms of knowledge construction and assessment, as well as the necessity of searching for a... [ view full abstract ]

In recent studies about education for sustainability, there has been growing recognition of the necessity of integrating different forms of knowledge construction and assessment, as well as the necessity of searching for a more interconnected exchange of information and experiences – finding transdisciplinary ways of addressing sustainability. In this paper, I explore the theoretical implications of the role of aesthetics in discussions of sustainability ethics and the potential of arts-based approaches for sustainability research and education. For this matter, I indicate examples from the environmental arts and some aesthetic approaches that are already being explored in different educational contexts. This is done in order to expand on the much needed transdisciplinary debate within the realms of education for sustainability, as well as to investigate how aesthetic features can help us overcome common divisions in the theory-practice, academic-activist, mind-body dualisms, which tend to make meaningful actions for sustainability unfeasible. Environmental aesthetics is an all-encompassing value to environmental appreciation. Our perception of the environment is permeated by a complexity of experiences that influence how our imaginary about it is formed, as well as how we assess and share this information. Aesthetics is, therefore, a crucial step in finding ways to generate or increase sensitiveness to the surrounding environment and to re-think the concept of education for sustainability. Understanding aesthetics as forms of multisensorial experiences and perceptions of the environment, allows one to explore beyond the usual association of environmental aesthetics to a contemplative appreciation of landscape. Aesthetics indicates, instead, the potential for multiple dynamics of engagement and environmental responsibility. Furthermore, the focus on the multisensorial, affective, and imaginative characteristics of aesthetic experiences indicates that not only artistic practice or appreciation encompass aesthetic features, but they are open for a wide range of social interests and activities – including environmental perception, education for sustainability, and interspecies relationships. In this sense, the contribution of environmental aesthetics for the discussions in the realm of sustainability ethics and education enables the exploration of multiple levels of the transdisciplinary approach reclaimed in such fields, integrating experiential forms of knowledge construction and an affective exchange of information and perceptions of the environment.