Supplementary Material for Chapter 4

An Introductory Examination of Worldviews and Why They Matter For Environmental and Sustainability Studies

This chapter is published as:

Byrne LB.2016. An Introductory Examination of Worldviews and Why They Matter For Environmental and Sustainability Studies. In: Byrne L (ed) Learner-Centered Teaching Activities for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Springer, New York. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-28543-6_4

Loren B. Byrne

Department of Biology, Marine Biology & Environmental Science, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI USA

This file contains the following supplementary material:

  • A: Additional background resources… beginning on p.1
  • C: Photos of eyeglasses and students wearing them… beginning on p.3

This chapter also has the following supplementary material, available on the chapter’s website:

  • B: Presentation slides

Supplementary Material A: Additional Background Resources

Worldview definitions:

The online Free Dictionary provides the following basic definitions of a worldview: “1.The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 2.A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group” (From 27 July 2015).

The psychologist Koltko-Rivera (2004, p. 3) offers this description: “A worldview (or ‘world view’) is a set of assumptions about physical and social realitythat may have powerful effects on cognition and behavior.”

  • Koltko-Rivera ME (2004)The Psychology of Worldviews. Rev Gen Psychol8: 3–58

Hedlund-de Witt (2014, p. 75) suggests that “worldviews are then understood as the inescapable, overarching systems of meaning and meaning-making that substantially inform how humans interpret, enact and co-create reality… a coherent pattern or system that integrates seemingly isolated ideas into a common whole….”

  • Hedlund-De Witt A (2013) Worldviews and their significance for the global sustainable development debate: A philosophical exploration of the evolution of a concept. Environ Ethics 35: 133-162

Components of and influences on worldviews:

Among the most obvious influences on a person’s worldview, each of which interact in many ways andaffects a person throughout her life and, are:

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  • social paradigms
  • family upbringing size and other characteristics
  • interpersonal relationships
  • phenomenological experiences
  • education
  • geographical context
  • career
  • genetics
  • cultural context

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These may be viewed as influences on worldviews but beliefs about these topics may also be considered components. For example, growing up in a multi-generation household can influence one’s worldview and a belief that it is acceptable, normal and “right” to live with grandparents is part of a worldview.

Saucier (2013) suggests that people’s beliefs can be described in terms of five main themes. These were described in a general review article (Lawton 2015, p. 33) as:

“1. Traditional religiousness: level of belief in mainstream theological systems such as Christianity and Islam

  1. Subjective spirituality: level of belief in non-material phenomena such as spirits, astrology and the paranormal
  2. Unmitigated self-interest: belief in the idea that hedonism is a source of value and goodness in life
  3. Communal rationalism: belief in the importance of common institutions and the exercise of reason
  4. Inequality aversion: level of tolerance of inequality in society, a proxy of the traditional left-right political split”

Saucier’s (2013) article contains a list of statements used in his research to evaluate college students’ views within these five dimensions such as “The human being has a spiritual rather than an animal nature” and “Moral laws are fixed, absolute, and the same everywhere.” These could be used to discuss worldview issues in the classroom.

  • Saucier G (2013) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 104: 921–939
  • Lawton G (2015) Beyond Belief. New Scientist, April 4: 30-33. Accessed November 6, 2015

Additional references(Particularly recommended ones are indicated with a “”)

Beddoe R, Costanza R, FarleyJ, et al (2009)Overcoming systemic roadblocks to sustainability: The evolutionary redesign of worldviews, institutions, and technologies. PNAS 106: 2483–2489

Botella L, Gallifa J (1995)A constructivist approach to the development of personal epistemic assumptions and worldviews. J ConstructivistPsychol 8: 1-18

Brackney M, McAndrew, FT(2001) Ecological worldviews and receptivity to different types of arguments for preserving endangered species. J Environ Educ33: 17-20

de Vries BJM, Petersen AC (2009) Conceptualizing sustainable development: An assessment methodology connecting values, knowledge, worldviews and scenarios. Ecol Econ 68: 1006–1019

Johnson KA, Hill ED, Cohen AB (2011) Integrating the study of culture and religion: Towards a psychology of worldview. Soc Personal Psychol Compass 5: 137-152.

Gauch HG (2009)Science, worldviews, and education. Sci andEduc 18:667-695

Gill, JH (2002) Native American Worldviews: An Introduction. Humanity Press, New York

Leiserowitz AA, Kates RW, Parris TM (2006) Sustainability values, attitudes and behaviors: A review of multinational and global trends. Ann Rev Environ Resour 31: 413-444

Lynam, A (2012) Navigating a geography of sustainability worldviews: A developmental map. J SustEduc 3.

Accessed 27 July 2015.

Naugle DK (2002) Worldview: The History of a Concept. W.B. Eerdmans Publishing,Cambridge

Nooney JG, Woodrum E, Hoban TJ, Clifford WB (2003) Environmental worldview and behavior: Consequences of dimensionality in a survey of North Carolinians. Environ Behav 35: 763-783

Peterson MN, Liu J (2008) Impacts of religion on environmental worldviews: The Teton Valley case. Soc Nat Res

21: 704-718

Schlitz MM, Vieten C, Miller ME (2010) Worldview transformation and the development of social consciousness. J Conscious Stud 17: 18-36

Taylor C (1989) Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

vanEgmond ND, de Vries HJM (1988) Sustainability: The search for the integral worldview. Futures 43: 853-867

vanOpstal M, Hugé J (2013) Knowledge for sustainable development: a worldviews perspective. Environ Dev Sustain 15: 687-709

Supplementary Material C: Photos

Examples of funny glasses that are metaphors for varied worldviews:

Photo credit: L. Byrne

Students wearing the funny glasses in the classroom with lists of their characteristics on the board:

Photo credit: L. Byrne

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