The Political Ecology of Design and Technology Education: An Inquiry into Methods

Abstract

At the beginning of this new century, design and technology educators face a serious dilemma: Practice conventional modes of design and technology, which have consumed proponents in Canada, England, Germany, and the US, or model design for sustainable lifestyles. Our conventional design, problem solving and technological methods embody a liberal, political ecology and in effect, these methods – our practices – are not sustainable. Using the political ecology of Nike shoes as an example, I describe ecological footprints, resource streams, and wakes as effective metaphors for sustainable practice. In contra-distinction to technocentric methods, I argue for modelling ecocentric processes rooted in political ecology and cultural studies. Attending to the political ecology of design and technology means nothing less than remodelling the design of lifestyles and reducing production and consumption in our practice.