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Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: the Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation

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Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: the Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Examensarbete i Hållbar Utveckling 72 Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation Brett Cherniak Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation Brett Cherniak Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences Master Thesis E, in Sustainable Development, 30 credits Printed at Department of Earth Sciences, Master’s Thesis Geotryckeriet, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 2012. E, 30 credits Examensarbete i Hållbar Utveckling 72 Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation Brett Cherniak Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iii Summary…………...……………………………………………………………………………………………….iv 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Previous Research in EE, ESD & Democracy ................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1. Summary of Background Research ............................................................................................................ 4 1.2. Problem .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 1.3. Aim .................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4. Outline ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Method and Material ................................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1. Limitations of Method ....................................................................................................................................... 7 3. Democracy & Education............................................................................................................................................ 7 3.1. Cosmopolitan Education .................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2. Deliberative Democratic Education ................................................................................................................. 10 3.3. Democracy & Education: A Summary ............................................................................................................ 10 4. Deliberative Democratic Theory ............................................................................................................................. 10 4.1. Participation ..................................................................................................................................................... 11 4.2. Deliberation ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 4.3. Deliberative Democratic Theory: A Summary ................................................................................................ 14 5. Green Deliberative Democracy ............................................................................................................................... 15 5.1. Opening up to Green ........................................................................................................................................ 15 5.1.1. Green Assumption .................................................................................................................................... 16 5.2. Implicit Authoritarianism ................................................................................................................................. 17 5.2.1. Escape from Authoritarianism ................................................................................................................. 18 5.3. Participation and Deliberation in Practice: ...................................................................................................... 18 5.4. Green Deliberative Democracy: A Summary .................................................................................................. 20 6. Alternatives to Deliberative Democracy .................................................................................................................. 20 6.1. Maintaining the Central State .......................................................................................................................... 21 6.2. Making a “Better” Liberal Democracy ............................................................................................................ 21 6.3. Alternatives to Deliberative Democracy: A Summary .................................................................................... 23 7. Summary .................................................................................................................................................................. 23 7. 1. Previous Research in EE, ESD & Democracy ................................................................................................ 23 7.2. Democracy & Education .................................................................................................................................. 23 7.3. Deliberative Democratic Theory ...................................................................................................................... 24 7.4. Green Deliberative Democracy ........................................................................................................................ 25 7.5. Alternatives to Deliberative Democracy .......................................................................................................... 25 8. Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................ 26 8.1. A Critique of the Arguments ............................................................................................................................ 26 8.2. The Problem Revisited ..................................................................................................................................... 28 9. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 30 ii Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation BRETT CHERNIAK Cherniak, B., 2012: Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation. Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, 38 pp, 30 ECTS/hp Abstract: There has been much written of the potential positive impact in Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This thesis explores the reliance on deliberative democracy by the proponents of EE/ESD and whether or not they have justification for their beliefs. Specifically, participation and deliberation will be separated in order to identify any faults in these values that may prevent democracy – and therefore education – from addressing the problems of sustainable development and environmental concerns. Through a deconstruction of the relevant literature and a clarification of the lines of thought brought forth throughout the various arguments, it is shown that there is no good theoretical or empirical reason for advocating a deliberative democratic approach to EE/ESD as feverishly as some do. Instead, the case for an educational method and content based on the empirically observed characteristics of current liberal democracies will be made. Keywords: Sustainable Development, Environmental Education, deliberative democracy, participation, liberal democracy, philosophy Brett Cherniak, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden iii Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation BRETT CHERNIAK Cherniak, B., 2012: Critiquing the Role of Deliberative Democracy in EE and ESD: The Case for Effective Participation and Pragmatic Deliberation. Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, 38 pp, 30 ECTS/hp Summary: Proponents of Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development have focused their attention on increased participation and deliberation, both core values of deliberative democratic theory, within the classrooms in order for environmental and sustainable development concerns to gain a stronger and more legitimate position. As opposed to the “traditional” method of teaching, where educators played a stronger role in guiding their students, a deliberative democratic education would place more freedom and work in the hands of the students. This is important not just for environmental concerns, because education also prepares students for active participation in democratic society outside of the classroom. This thesis will explore and examine relevant literature to this
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