ECOFEMINIST PEDAGOGY AND THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIAL CHANGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v5i5.423Keywords:
ecofeminism, internationalization, sustainability, higher educationAbstract
In today's globalized world, the significance of higher education's internationalization has increased. The need to navigate complicated policy frameworks, form alliances across many cultural and linguistic settings, and address problems of power and privilege in global collaboration are only a few of the challenges that this process frequently poses. Higher education's internationalization also provides opportunities for enhancing intercultural understanding, creating networks of international scholars and practitioners, and advancing global social justice goals. Ecofeminist pedagogy offers a distinct and unique framework for addressing these opportunities and challenges because it puts a significant emphasis on the intersection between gender, ecology, and social justice. This paper argues that ecofeminist pedagogy can assist students in building sustainability skills that go beyond technical knowledge and address the underlying beliefs, conceptions, and worldviews that affect how people interact with the natural world. Additionally, this paper outlines essential themes and concepts of ecofeminist pedagogy that could contribute to the development of “deep” sustainability capabilities in the context of the internationalization of higher education, drawing on a review of the literature on ecofeminism and ESD. Furthermore, this paper investigates how ecofeminist pedagogy can address some of the opportunities and challenges generated by the intersections of policy, diplomacy, and social change in the internationalization of higher education by unearthing the importance of intersectionality, care, activism, empathy, and advocacy. The paper concludes by underscoring the potential of ecofeminist pedagogy in establishing a more equitable and sustainable global higher education system.
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