Ecosocial Education

Carlos Gómez Chuliá 

Eco-social education is based on the recognition of the existence of a multisystemic crisis (ecological, social, cultural, political, economic), widely corroborated by scientific research (see Ecological Collapse). This crisis requires the implementation of a genuine ecological, social, and economic transformation that addresses the root causes of the problems and entails acknowledging planetary limits. That is, the construction of a new paradigm that places our ecodependence and interdependence at the center.  

In response, ecosocial education aims to empower students to become active agents for social justice, democracy, and sustainability. It is a broad term that also encompasses perspectives that are sometimes presented as distinct identities, such as feminist education or inclusive education, and it encompasses elements as seemingly disparate as teacher  care, holistic personal development, and preparation for building social justice in contexts marked by the ecological crisis. 

Education has both an individual and a collective dimension. The individual dimension aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes, in short, the competencies necessary to meet their needs and, thereby, lead a fulfilling and dignified life. These needs are not merely subsistence-based but broader, including emotional, protective, and cognitive needs, among others (Max Neef, 2006). The collective dimension seeks to provide the foundation of learning necessary for societies to improve. From an eco-social perspective, the best societies are those that are sustainable, just, and democratic in the fullest sense. Therefore, it is not enough to equip students with excellent linguistic, digital, or scientific skills; rather, we must motivate and empower them to use these skills for social improvement. In other words, we must educate them so that they can become—if they wish and their personal circumstances allow—agents capable of helping us organize collectively in a democratic manner to universally meet our needs without harming the environment.  

From an eco-social perspective, the individual and collective dimensions of learning are not incompatible but complementary: it is only possible to lead fulfilling individual lives if there is a socio-environmental balance—a balance built upon tools for meeting needs in a sustainable, just, and democratic manner. A corollary of this is that eco-social education is not an add-on but a central element of training.  

This dual perspective on the role of education affects not only individuals but also timeframes. On the one hand, education must focus on the present and identify which competencies are necessary and desirable in today’s society. Today, key elements such as inclusion, diversity management, and a holistic and critical perspective are becoming increasingly significant (Booth and Ainscow, 2015; Echeita, 2019). At the same time, and with equal importance, it must look toward the future, as one of its central functions is to equip children with many of the basic competencies they will need to lead dignified lives. Therefore, to aspire to quality education, it is essential to anticipate future scenarios based on the most robust scientific information available, even while acknowledging that it is impossible to predict the future. Here, the ecosocial perspective becomes relevant once again, as the global and multidimensional crisis we are experiencingdraws a  very different future from the present and the past—that is, inevitably, a world with a different political, economic, and cultural order (See Ecosocial Collapse). In this way, the capacity to build just, truly democratic, and sustainable societies emerges as an even more decisive horizon for the future. Once again, the ecosocial perspective cannot be a mere embellishment, a cherry on top of the educational project, but rather a central element that permeates everything. 

For the eco-social approach to be central to an educational project, a deep integration of this perspective into the school curriculum is necessary. It is in this realm where the greatest processes of transformation take place. From curricular content to methodological strategies and assessment, eco-social education permeates the entire curriculum design to form an essential part of the teaching-learning process.  

From a comprehensive eco-social perspective, teaching is grounded in a series of learning outcomes grouped into eight major blocks. These learning blocks should permeate the curriculum design of the various subject areas when learning situations are designed, becoming progressively more complex across successive grades.  

The first learning block is based on a profound understanding of ecodependence. This concept can be associated with a reverence for the web of life and a sense of belonging to the planetary community (Herrero, 2011). This implies not focusing on human well-being at the expense of ecosystem balances, but rather on the well-being of life as a whole, which is what an ecocentric concept would ultimately entail. 

The second set of learning focuses on the functioning of the biosphere. As a starting point, it is shown that complex systems (such as societies, living beings, ecosystems, or the Earth system) do not function “like clockwork.” Their functioning is organic, not mechanical (see Organicism and Mechanicism). Since we depend on ecosystems and their capacities are qualitatively and quantitatively superior to those of humans, it is logical that we adapt our economy to how material and energy flows operate within the web of life (Riechmann, 2014), in a sort of “biomimicry,” as the human species has done throughout most of its history (see Social Metabolism and Ecological Economics).  

The third section addresses the crisis of civilization. On the environmental front, key issues include climate chaos, massive biodiversity loss, and the depletion of primary energy (fossil fuels) and material (various minerals) resources. On the social front, these include rising inequality, the erosion of democracy, and the care crisis. And on the economic front, there is a structural crisis in our system’s capacity to sustain growth, which is leading it toward profound crises. Faced with a crisis of this magnitude, it is essential to profoundly reformulate our social order and its interaction with the rest of the ecosystems, implementing measures that address the root causes of the problems, as palliative measures are insufficient at this historic moment. An example of a learning outcome from this section would be ‘recognizing current rates of species extinction and ecosystem degradation as an urgent problem that must be halted, and knowing how to do so.’  

The fourth block of ecosocial learning focuses on agents of change. The key is to internalize that organized citizens are social actors capable of driving economic, political, and cultural change. Ecosocial transformations revolve around the development of empathy and critical thinking. 

The fifth block focuses on individual  development and as a community. For human well-being, having quality social relationships is absolutely crucial. We depend on the care we receive (household chores, emotional support, attention to functional diversity, etc.) throughout our entire lives. We therefore need an ethics of care, to learn to care for one another in a co-responsible manner, and to facilitate the rebuilding of care bonds among all people and living beings—ensuring that these responsibilities do not fall primarily on women, as is currently the case (Pérez Orozco, 2014) (see Ecofeminism and Ethics of Care).  

The sixth section reflects on justice from the perspective that it is the social order in which all people can meet their needs without degrading ecosystem balances (Fernández, R., González, 2018). Since this universal fulfillment demonstrates our interdependence and ecodependence, both are terms related to justice (see Ecosocial Justice). One cannot exist without the other. Overcoming injustices requires social changes that begin, first and foremost, with understanding the structures (political, economic, and cultural) that perpetuate inequalities. But not only that; it is also essential to understand and know how to implement alternative models of socioeconomic organization. Without doing this, we would be teaching resignation in the face of injustices, whereas our goal is their elimination—which is possible.  

Democracy is linked to the relationship between interdependence/ecodependence and justice, for democracy is indispensable for justice to exist. The seventh section focuses on democracy. The central element is the distribution of power in such a way that it is power “with” rather than power “over.” A democratic perspective also requires an intercultural perspective as it is necessary to engage in a rich, complex, and critical dialogue among different territories, cultures, and worldviews. Moreover, in a world shaped by globalization and the environmental crisis, democracy must be reconfigured, as it must include in its reflection and decision-making the opinions of those who cannot voice them—whether because they have not yet been born, live thousands of miles away, or are other living beings—but who may suffer the consequences of those decisions.  

Finally, eco-social education includes learning about eco-social techniques; this would constitute the eighth module. A critical review of technology is deemed necessary, one that considers relevant aspects such as its lack of neutrality, the energy and material demands associated with it, or its pivotal role in social control (Almazán, 2021). The proposal is to promote those technologies that do not undermine the possibility of a dignified life for all people and the sustainability of the planet, and that are democratically controlled by society.  

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