Ecological dialogues

  • Target group: Secondary, VET, Higher education
  • Focus: Learn about careers in a sustainable world
  • Activity: Educating
  • Form: Group
  • Duration: 45 minutes

This activity offers a group dynamic for young people focused on promoting the discussion on dilemmas that connect possible careers with environmental and sustainability concerns.

Inspiration for the tool

This activity was created by the Portuguese innovation factory, inspired by Kohlberg’s theory of Moral Development and the dilemmas the author used.

Rationale: Why is this needed?

This activity provides an opportunity for participants to explore the complexity of decision-making and professional experiences, promoting their critical reflection and consciousness on the connection between work and environmental / sustainability issues.

Objectives

By the end of the session, participants will:

  • Be able to analyse and reflect on potential dilemmas focused on connection between work and environmental / sustainability issues.
  • Have had the opportunity to relate careers with the world and develop solidarity with the world.
  • Have had the opportunity to develop their critical consciousness on these issues.

Resources needed

Cards with environmental dilemmas regarding different areas of work.

Possible dilemmas:

Dilemma 1:

Steven has recently started working as a supply chain manager at a renowned fast fashion company. He was extremely enthusiastic about his work since the company told him that they were hiring him not only because of his technical skills and experience but also because they valued his environmental activism. However, when he started to get to know the companies’ practices in terms of supply chain, he found out that the company was sourcing their materials from cheap suppliers which were considered to pollute their local communities and exploit them in terms of labour.

Exploration questions:

  • What does a supply chain manager do?
  • What do people who work in this area usually study?
  • What should Steven do?
  • Would your opinion of what he should do change if he wasn’t an environmental activist?
  • Why do you think the company wanted to hire him? What was their aim?

Dilemma 2:

Sophie just got a job at a popular coffee shop. She loves working there, but she notices that they throw away loads of unsold food and they use single-use plastic cups for most drinks. When she asks her manager about reducing waste or switching to reusable options, she is told that it’s “too expensive and inconvenient.”

Exploration questions:

  • Considering she does not agree with these practices, what should Sophie do?
  • What does she risk by doing that? Or not doing that?
  • If you were Sophie, what would you do?

Dilemma 3:

Catherine is an IT expert who has worked for ten years in some of the major IT companies. She has decided to start her own venture, creating a new company dedicated to the production of environmentally mindful technology (e.g., computers, smartphones, smart TV’s, etc.). Previously she wasn’t very aware of the impact of climate change but during the last couple of years she started to be more attentive to these issues both in her daily habits and her work. That’s one of the reasons she decided to leave her previous employer. That’s when she thought about joining her expertise with this new found environmental concern so that she could feel she was giving something back to the world. She pitched her idea and got two investors and everything was going great. However, when she received estimates of the costs of production through fair labour and fair mining, she started to get pressure from the funders to use other sources which would allow them to get 20% more of profit.

Exploration questions:

  • What is important to consider when analysing this situation?
  • What do you think that should Catherine do?
  • What would the implications of each possible decision be?

Dilemma 4.

Anna is studying mechanical engineering. It was her first choice and she is really enjoying to study this at university. She loves all the subjects and she is having really good grades. Now she is starting to worry about her internship. All her friends have chosen what area they want: some are going to automobile, shipbuilding, others aerospace, and others oil and gas companies… but she’s not sure. Throughout her degree she has become more aware of the impact of all these industries on the planet and she doesn’t know if it’s possible to work in the area that she loves and not further contribute to polluting the world.

Exploration questions:

  • What is happening to Anna?
  • Is it possible to combine her interest in mechanical engineering and living a sustainable life in a sustainable job?
  • What would you do if you were Anna?
  • What could Anna explore?

Additional resources:

Materials that may support facilitators in the development of new dilemmas and suggestions for facilitators:

Artificial Intelligence tools may also help you with the creation of new dilemmas

Activities

  • Activity: Each dilemma should be presented to the group and discussed, using exploration questions. The dilemmas should be focused on the relationship between work and sustainability in different areas, preferably developing dilemmas that adapt to the areas in which those students are interested in.
  • Integration: After each debate, the facilitator should summarise the discussion and connect it to decision-making regarding vocational and career development issues
  • Debrief: The facilitator may conclude the session by encouraging participants to try and identify potential dilemmas that they may be experiencing regarding their own vocational/career development.

Reflections/Consolidation of learning

  • What did this activity make you think about the impact of careers in the environment?
  • What kins of dilemmas are you experiencing regarding your own vocational/ career development or decision-making?
  • Did this activity help you think about those dilemmas?

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