Citizens’ Social Construction of Sustainable Development in Mexico Vol 1, No. 1 September, 2007 Document available in: www.ried-ijed.org Citizens’ Social Construction of Sustainable Development in Mexico Citizens’ Social Construction of Sustainable Development in Mexico Medardo Tapia Uribe Researchers of the Regional Center for Multidisciplinary Research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad sin número, Circuito 2, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos C.P. 62210 , Teléfono: (777) 329 18 41; Fax: (52) (777) 317-59-81 Correo electrónico:
[email protected] Abstract This research study examines the discussion and solution of environmental problems taken on by students, citizens, and government in northwest Morelos, a state near Mexico City. Public discussion of environmental problems in three local newspapers between 2000 and 2004, in-depth interviews with the main actors involved, and survey results of a probabilistic sample of citizens and lower- and upper- secondary students are examined. The results describe students’ perception of environmental problems and how debate arises, evolves, and is solved, as well as how citizens, the government, and students contribute to constructing citizenship, the environment, and democracy. Citizens’ Social Construction of Sustainable decisions” (Quoted in Santillán, 2003, p. 339). Development in Mexico Hence, it is neither a question of passively waiting, nor of adhering to a paternalistic government- Citizenship education in Mexico, as in the rest of citizen scheme, in which the latter is subject to the the world, has reacted to varying social and historical benevolence of the former and where the premise aspirations and conditions. Given that the Mexican that citizens are minors incapable of distinguishing State itself has been transformed, since the nineties good from evil prevails.