Culture in Sustainability – Defining Cultural Sustainability in Education

Abstract

The definition of cultural sustainability in education is explored in this article by looking into conceptions of cultural sustainability collected through expert queries and focus group engagement. These conceptions are compared with the scientific and especially pedagogical discourse on the matter as well as Soini and Birkeland’s theory of story lines of cultural sustainability and Barth’s theory of micro-, median- and macro-levels of culture. The analysis shows that the viewpoint of education brings a new dimension to the discussion on cultural sustainability. It specifically broadens the “culture in” definition from the perspectives of supporting children’s and youth’s identity process and micro-level encounters. From a theoretical point of view, the study therefore adds depth to the examination of cultural sustainability.