Per Hillbur

The cultural background of the sustainability of the traditional farming system in the Ghouta the oasis of Damascus, Syria

This paper discusses thepractical impact of a non-materialistic cultureon sustainable farm management.Two elements are discussed: first, how deeplyrooted religion is in this culture; second,the feasibility of using both human knowledgeand experience, so-called tradition and divineguidance in management. Finally, theimplications of the fusion of these twoelements are drawn. The outcome is thecapability of man to integrate ethical valuesinto decisions and actions. This integration,when applied by skilled farmers, leads to amanagement of natural resources in analtruistic fashion and not merely to economicends. Moreover, it makes agriculture meaningfuland sustainable.

Response and responsibility: fabrication of the eco-certified citizen in Swedish curricula 1962–2011

Abstract This article addresses the fabrication of the eco-certified citizen, an ideal – rather than real – citizen constructed through requirements of both needed knowledge and a kind of personhood, with specific qualities. The societal demands of knowledge-response to environmental problems are studied, as well as the student’s (future citizen’s) responsibility in relation to these problems, in five subsequent national curricula for the Swedish compulsory school between 1962 and 2011. How does environmental education operate as a hub for constructing desirable citizens? From a theoretical framework of governmentality, the article explores how political rationalities for society and citizenship emerge. Our findings show how recent curricula, by using space and time metaphors, fabricate the eco-certified citizen as an individualistic, globalized person who is able and willing to use scientific knowledge to make decisions and develop opinions about the world. Citizenship has evolved as a competence rather than an ongoing practice, meaning that one has to prove oneself as a legitimate citizen. This emerging, post-political, citizenship differs from citizenship posited in 1960s’ curricula – a combination of traditional family values and democratic involvement in the local society.