Pedagogy of the Anthropocene Epoch for a Great Transition: A Novel Approach of Higher Education (Anthropocene ? Humanities and Social Sciences)

This book functions as a practical guide to support teachers and higher education institutions in the construction of their courses and programmes in light of the Anthropocene. It is divided into two complementary parts. The first part lays the theoretical foundations of what is a transition pedagogy and provides a pedagogical framework. It offers practical tools and didactic levers to be used by teachers and institutions to build a truly transformative pedagogy for students, with reference to universities already experimenting such alternative methods. The second part presents an analysis of the pedagogical tools and levers experienced in worldwide institutions, by teachers, as well as philosophers and experts of pedagogy.

The authors of this book advocate for an embodied pedagogy which not only gives students access to content but also to ways of thinking and acting in all conscience. A pedagogy of the Anthropocene epoch therefore encourages the mobilization of reason, emotions and senses as well as systemic reflection in the questioning of our lifestyles and the development of transversal skills. Based on internationally recognized research and practical experiences of institutions and teachers all over the western world, this book gathers the knowledge and experience of professors and researchers, coming from a wide variety of disciplines and cultural context. Their reflections have led them to develop a “head-heart-body approach” and a “6 Gates questioning method” to remodel pedagogy. This book is of interest to those working in the education sector.

Cécile Renouard is a doctor of philosophy and professor of philosophy and ethics. Graduate of ESSEC Business School, she holds a doctorate in political philosophy (EHESS) and wrote her dissertation on the ethical and political responsibility of multinational companies in developing countries. She has worked since 2006 on the evaluation and measurement of the contribution of companies to the quality of the social and ecological link, in different territories.

She teaches at ESSEC Business School and MINES ParisTech graduate school since 2008. Her long-term research and teaching experience in prestigious schools on ethics has led her to question the pedagogical practices applied in higher education. In 2017, she co-created the Transition Campus (Campus de la Transition), an inter-academic institution where students, professors and professionals are trained to fully understand and integrate the challenges of the ecological and social transition. The Transition Campus develops and experiments a transformative and interdisciplinary pedagogy, involving head, heart and body which has proven its consistence and is currently being disseminated in a wider specter of academic institutions in France.

Nathanaël Wallenhorst is Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Education at the Catholic University of the West (UCO). He is Doctor of Educational Sciences and Doktor der Philosophie (first international co-supervision PhD), and Doctor of Environmental Sciences and Doctor in Political Science (second international co-supervision PhD). He is the author of twenty books on politics, education, and anthropology in the Anthropocene. He is the leading contributor of the collections "Anthropocene - Humanities and Social sciences" (with Prof Christoph Wulf). Latest's books: A critical theory for the Anthropocene (Springer, 2023), Handbook of the Anthropocene (Eds, with Wulf, Springer, 2023), Political education in the Anthropocene (Eds with Hétier, Pierron & Wulf, Springer, 2023).

Frédérique BROSSARD BØRHAUG is Professor of Education at VID Specialized University, Stavanger in Norway. She is a native French speaker and fluent in Norwegian and English. She holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of Oslo, Norway. Frédérique conducts research on Ethics and Anti-Racist Education in French and Norwegian multicultural school contexts, on the Human Development and Capability Approach (HDCA), on Inclusion of minority youth, on VaKE-didactics (Values and Knowledge Education) in intercultural teaching, and on education in the Anthropocene. A key focus in her research is the critical reflection on one's own cultural position and the fostering of complex intercultural and anti-racist value thinking that can counteract the reproduction of a sense of privilege and lead to more inclusive educational practices for all in respect with the nature

Alexander Federau is a mobility consultant at Mobilidée in Geneva. He has been working for more than 10 years with concepts and tools to promote sober and sustainable lifestyles. A specialist in environmental ethics, he is the author of "Pour une philosophie de l'Anthropocène". PhD in philosophy and environmental sciences.

Ronan Le Cornec manages the Ecological and Social Transition training programme at Rennes University. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Biology & Agronomy, and a MSc in computer science. Having spent 10 years in the management of complex projects in digital agencies and industry, he transitioned to sustainable development management. Passionate about systems thinking, nature and the living environment, he is personally involved in a portfolio of transition initiatives and has been practicing permaculture design for about fifteen years.

​Perrine Vandecastele is a transformation consultant, specialized in socialinnovation. She works with NGOs and positive impact corporations to develop organizations empowering people to contribute to the Great Transition. Passionate about Social Psychology, she uses techniques from theater, singing and cooperative games to explore the links between personal and collective transformations. She has a pluridisciplinary academic background, focused on the Anthropocene and holds a Master of International Affairs, a Master of Arts in Social Sciences and a Bachelor of Science and Technology. Her contribution to this publication derives from the experimentations led with the Transition Campus about a head, heart and body pedagogy with students and professionals.

David Ries accompanied at the Transition Campus several publications on topics as diverse as Social Sciences, Philosophy, Economics, Law and Ecology. He has a pluridisciplinary academic background that revolved around International Development, a field he is also acquaintedwith through civil society and volunteering experiences. David is convinced of the central role of education, with a particular interest in non-formal and global citizenship education.