Metaphors of Nature and Economic Development: Critical Education for Sustainable Business

Helen Kopnina
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Helen Kopnina: Department of International Business Management Studies, The Hague University of Applied Science, The Hague 2511 CV, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2014, vol. 6, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Neoliberal discourse often conceptualizes nature in relation to its market utility and economic development. This article will address the role of metaphors in shaping neoliberal discourse in business education. The aim of this article is to reveal reasoning patterns about environmental problems and economic development in students of sustainable business minor. The case study described in this article involves business students at The Hague University in The Netherlands. This case study aimed to explore a shift in student understanding of environmental problems and economic development before and after the intervention. The results suggest that critical curriculum can inform students about the alternative conceptions as well as instruct them about potential solutions to the sustainability challenges. The article culminates with the argument that without goal-oriented education for sustainability; neoliberal education may not permit transcendence from unsustainable practices.

Keywords: business education; circular economy; education for sustainable development (ESD); metaphors; neoliberalism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:11:p:7496-7513:d:41605

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