Framing in Sustainability Science Theoretical and Practical Approaches

This open access book offers both conceptual and empirical descriptions of how to “frame” sustainability challenges. It defines “framing” in the context of sustainability science as the process of identifying subjects, setting boundaries, and defining problems. The chapters are grouped into two sections: a conceptual section and a case section. The conceptual section introduces readers to theories and concepts that can be used to achieve multiple understandings of sustainability; in turn, the case section highlights different ways of comprehending sustainability for researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders.

The book offers diverse illustrations of what sustainability concepts entail, both conceptually and empirically, and will help readers become aware of the implicit framings in sustainability-related discourses. In the extant literature, sustainability challenges such as climate change, sustainable development, and rapid urbanization have largely been treated as “pre-set,” fixed topics, while possible solutions have been discussed intensively. In contrast, this book examines the framings applied to the sustainability challenges themselves, and illustrates the road that led us to the current sustainability discourse.

Part 1 Theoretical Approaches/ Theoretical Approaches to sustainability issues.- Theoretical and methodological pluralism in sustainability science.- Approaches for framing sustainability challenges: experiences from Swedish sustainability science education.- Part 2 Practical Approaches / Practical Approaches to sustainability issues.- The value of grey.- Framing in place making when envisioning a sustainable rural community in the time of aging and shrinking societies in Japan.- Role of Framing in sustainability science: The case of Minamata disease.- Time scales in framing disaster risk reduction in sustainability.- Food security framing and poverty alleviation.- Part 3 Conclusion/ Epilogue.- Linking framing to actions for sustainability.

Shogo Kudo is an Assistant Professor and part of the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science, University of Tokyo, where he also completed his Ph.D. He currently holds a visiting researcher position at the Institute of Asian Studies and Regional Collaboration, Akita International University, and is a visiting research fellow at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, United Nations University.  His research focus is on the impact of aging and depopulation in rural areas of Japan. He is currently working on a project platform called the Akita Age Lab, which will promote educational, research, and social implementation projects for the challenges of an aging society in Japan’s Akita prefecture.