Understanding Deep-Seated Paradigms of Unsustainability to Address Global Challenges: A Pathway to Transformative Education for Sustainability

Desi Elvera Dewi (), Joyo Winoto, Noer Azam Achsani and Suprehatin Suprehatin
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Desi Elvera Dewi: School of Business, IPB University, Bogor 16151, Indonesia
Joyo Winoto: School of Business, IPB University, Bogor 16151, Indonesia
Noer Azam Achsani: School of Business, IPB University, Bogor 16151, Indonesia
Suprehatin Suprehatin: Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics and Management, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-25

Abstract: This study investigates the foundational causes of unsustainability that obstruct efforts to address global challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, water crises, and public health deterioration. Using qualitative research with in-depth expert interviews from education, environmental studies, and business, it finds that these global challenges, while visible on the surface, are deeply rooted in worldviews that shape human behavior, societal structures, and policies. Building on this insight, the thematic analysis manifests three interrelated systemic paradigms as the fundamental drivers of unsustainability: a crisis of wholeness, reflected in fragmented identities and collective disorientation; a disconnection from nature, shaped by human-centered perspectives; and the influence of dominant political-economic systems which prioritize growth logics over ecological and social concerns. These paradigms underlie both structural and cognitive barriers to systemic transformation, which influence the design and implementation of education for sustainability. By clarifying a body of knowledge and systemic paradigms regarding unsustainability, this paper calls for transformative education that promotes a holistic, value-based approach, eco-empathy, and critical thinking, aiming to equip future generations with the tools to challenge and transform unsustainable systems.

Keywords: ecological integration; environmental issues; global challenges; sustainable education; sustainable transition; unsustainability paradigms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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