Social cartography as a participatory process for mapping experiences of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: an account of the design

ABSTRACT

This article describes the design process for a cartographic room as an effective tool for mapping Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) initiatives. This process formed part of a participatory action research project (PAR), aimed at identifying and recognizing ESDGC experiences in schools, as well as creating collaboration networks. The construction of the cartographic room complied with all PAR phases and requirements, as well as those involved in a collaborative social mapping process, highlighting the evident connection between both methodologies and with the ESDGC philosophy regarding the consciousness and critical understanding and transformation of social reality. In this sense, the cartographic room design and implementation was a reflexive and collaborative action, including processes of problematization and negotiation of meanings in order to create a shared narration. The article shows how the resulting room, its content, format and applications, allow for mapping ESDGC initiatives and also favour reflection processes. The data collected by mapping defines ESDCG initiatives in schools, their goals, topics and competences, methodologies and assessment; making these projects more visible as well as inspiring for other teachers. Thus, the final product in the form of a map can contribute to advancing and strengthening the field of ESDCG.

KEYWORDS:

• Social mapping
• cartographic room
• participatory action research
• development education
• global citizenship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Spain is a decentralized country with 17 autonomous communities, among them Galicia.

2 Details of the projects carried out by the Rurban studio are available for consultation at the following link: https://estudiorurban.com

3 Prior to the setting up of the cartographic room, an application was made for a report from the University of A Coruña Research and Teaching Ethics Committee. This Committee issued a favourable report on 07/03/2019.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Directorate-General for International Relations and with the European Union (Government of Galicia, Spain): [grant number PR804A 2019/6].