Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biosphere - WBGU

328 I Global biosphere policy
Table I 2.5-1
Dimensions of relations to nature.
Source: Mayer and Bögeholz, 1995
Individual orientation Cultural context Area under consideration
Organisms
Activities
Enquiring Science Characteristic species, Natural scientific studies
systematic groups
and hobbies
Ecological Nature conservation Endangered and protected Ecological commitment,
species
nature conservation activities
Instrumental Economy Crops and livestock, Gardening, hunting, fishing,
wild fruits, mushrooms harvesting
Aesthetic Aesthetics Houseplants, ornamental Walking, nature photography,
plants, natural aesthetic drawing nature, gardening
objects
Social Animal partnership Pets, sporting animals Keeping and breeding pets,
animal protection activities,
sports with animals
ments, etc’ (BLK, 1998) is essential for any appropriate
treatment of the subject. Learners must not just
gain insight into their own value positions in relation
to nature and biological diversity and be able to
rationalize these, but also learn to understand the
diversity of existing and often contrary interests and
values. They should learn to adopt the perspective of
other people and negotiate tenable decisions in cases
of conflict (conservation versus use).
The concept of life-long learning and
target-group specific content
The way people deal with nature is something that
they learn and practise from earliest days (WBGU,
1994, 1996). A large number of educational institutions
and formative reference groups participate in
the process of life-long socialization and learning.
These include pre-schools, schools, vocational training
and profession, other networks and groups
(NGOs), the family, friends and neighbours. The
treatment of the topic ‘conservation of the biosphere’,
if it is going to be successful, must be done in
a target-group specific and adaptive manner to suit
each stage of education. That means that the content
must take into consideration the level of knowledge
and the background of experience of the respective
recipients and link in to everyday contexts. People
take in new information actively, interpret it and
compare it with knowledge or convictions they possessed
before. Palmer (1995, quoted after Environment
Canada, 1998) found in her studies that children
already had clear ideas when they entered
school about far flung environments and also possessed
concepts of biodiversity, and that this knowledge
influenced the interpretation of new information
and experiences.
The evaluation of model experiments in Germany
has in many instances demonstrated the importance
of integrating educational content into the worlds in
which specific target groups live (de Haan et al,
1997). In general, it is less of a case of conceptual
deficits with regard to adequate environmental education
than shortcomings in the transfer of those concepts
into educational practice. Here, enhanced
further training for teachers and the dismantling of
structural barriers must be employed, but beyond
that also greater incentives for effective educational
practice.
Particular target groups
In many conventions, but particularly in AGENDA 21,
reference is made to the importance of specific target
groups for the realization of sustainability goals. For
the conservation of the biosphere certain relevant
groups may be enumerated:
• Particular educational products should be envisaged
for women since they have a central role in
terms of the organization of household and family
and so as a rule have a major influence on consumption
decisions (purchase of food, clothes, etc)
but are also responsible for shaping the conditions
of socialization and for raising children. They
therefore have a great decision-making power in
relation to sustainable consumption, and in their
educational role they also exert influence on the
development of new attitudes and lifestyles. The
outstanding role of women in the development of
sustainable patterns of production and consumption
has been discussed frequently (WBGU,
1998a) and should be reflected in educationrelated
measures under development cooperation.