Variation in Sociologists’ Perspectives About Sustainability in Higher Education: Outcomes from a Phenomenographic Study

Abstract

Sustainability issues are increasingly being adopted in higher education, in areas such campus initiatives, student-led schemes, in teaching, and through growing research activity. Much of the sustainability research focuses on discussions and debates about its inclusion in teaching and curricula in different disciplinary contexts. However, relatively little attention has been given to sustainability in relation to sociology, which is surprising since both have an interest in society and social change, and sociological research addresses areas including the environment and consumption. Sociologists’ understandings and experiences of sustainability might have particular value and provide new lessons and ideas relevant to those interested in promoting sustainability in the higher education sector. Consequently, and using the phenomenographic approach, this study sought to cast light on sociologists’ conceptions of sustainability and its relevance to sociology as a discipline. The project addressed the following research question: What variations exist in sociology academic staff and students in their accounts about and experiences of sustainability in higher education? The intention of the work was to collect broad-based perspectives from a diverse range of sociology staff and students about sustainability. The study comprised 24 semi-structured interviews with academic staff and students based in sociology departments at three UK-based universities. This chapter reports on the study and presents the findings in the form of two outcome spaces entitled Sustainability and me and Sustainability, sociology, and sociology curricula. In addition, the chapter reflects upon the phenomenographic research approach, and suggests that it offers considerable value for the research of sustainability in higher education.