Abstract

This article outlines a “strong” theoretical approach to sustainability literacy, building on an earlier definition of strong and weak environmental literacy (Stables and Bishop 2001). The argument builds upon a specific semiotic approach to educational philosophy (sometimes called edusemiotics), to which these authors have been contributing. Here, we highlight how a view of learning that centers on embodied and multimodal communication invites bridging biosemiotics with critical media literacy, in pursuit of a strong, integrated sustainability literacy. The need for such a construal of literacy can be observed in recent scholarship on embodied cognition, education, media and bio/eco-semiotics. By (1) construing the environment as semiosic (Umwelt), and (2) replacing the notion of text with model, we develop a theory of literacy that understands learning as embodied/environmental in/across any mediality. As such, digital and multimedia learning are deemed to rest on environmental and embodied affordances. The notions of semiotic resources and affordances are also defined from these perspectives. We propose that a biosemiotics-informed approach to literacy, connecting both eco- and critical-media literacy, accompanies a much broader scope of meaning-making than has been the case in literacy studies so far.

Highlights

  • The Embodiment Turn and SustainabilityIn the past three or four decades, an embodiment turn has contributed to the collapse of mind/body dualism in the humanities and social sciences [1,2,3,4]

  • This paper presents an embodiment approach to literacy, the need of which has been revealed, in part, by a recent semiotic approach to philosophy of education and to which these authors have been contributing (e.g., [8,9,10])

  • We focus on articulating a particular approach to embodied literacy here, we acknowledge and embrace different approaches to embodiment, such as expressed in work by Merleau-Ponty and Deleuze, as well as in new sociomateriality studies

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Summary

Introduction

In the past three or four decades, an embodiment turn has contributed to the collapse of mind/body dualism in the humanities and social sciences [1,2,3,4]. This paper presents an embodiment approach to literacy, the need of which has been revealed, in part, by a recent semiotic approach to philosophy of education (starting with Stables [6,7]) and to which these authors have been contributing (e.g., [8,9,10]). By explicating this approach, we demarcate the position that we take in the current academic debates on educational philosophy, literacy and sustainability.

The Main Argument
Our Proposal for Sustainability Literacy Education
Critical Media Literacy and a Link to Sustainability Literacy
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