This thesis deals with education for sustainable development (ESD) and the cross-field problems that can occur for the individual and for ESD practice environments in the meeting with society discourses. For the individual, this cross-field problem occurs in relation to the emotional dimension of learning processes related to ESD. The study shows several examples of participants through an aesthetically symbolic idiom which develops feelings of connection, friendship and care for nature and its elements. When this aesthetic activity meets society discourses, these are mostly explained within natural science ontological framework.
This thesis argues for developing explanation ways within social constructivism that can better accommodate this aesthetic symbolic idiom.
Likewise argues this thesis to develop an identity, in terms of a concept, that can contrast with the word "consumer", and capture the double interest that is to be included in connection with the planet and its resources both as a using but also one that simultaneously contributes to maintaining a balance between people and the planet through sustainable patterns of behavior.
Compared to these two argumentation the thesis operationalize learning theoretical considerations as Professor Knud Illeris have about learning relation to the outside world. These considerations include a changed learning triangle that this thesis is the first treatment of.
The thesis introduces three methodical grip, which has unfolded within an action research project. One grip is utopia workshop for children, developed to operationalize the children and young people's citizenship, without breaking childhood particularity in play and aesthetic business. This has been developed in a short-term action research project about the design of a playground in Roskilde harbor to inspire children and young people to learn about sustainable development.
The second grip that is being introduced is the architectural analysis. It is a tool to involve children and youth in urban development in a way that their proposals retain their aesthetic symbolic form all the way from the idea phase to the finished proposal for a unified architectural proposals. This has expressed itself as a creative process directly following the utopia workshops for children.
During the action research project experiences and meaning perspectives has unfolded referring to an emotional connectedness with nature. These can be understood as aesthetic symbolic forms. In local ESD practices and for the individual acts as a driving force in teaching and learning processes concerning sustainability. However, those meaning perspectives can occur conflictfull in relation to the discursive intersection problems that unfold around ESD in a competitive state perspective. This conflict may in some cases result in double bottom end identity-related issues. In relation to this the third methodological grip meta study was developed as an empirical tool for working in the extension of scientific theories. This has been operationalized relating to Knud Illeris's learning theoretical considerations about describing the learning process relating not only to society but to a wider surrounding world context, in order to incorporate learning processes timeliness in relation to nature and the current environmental and climate problems.