Overconsumption: Tackling Degrowth in the Classroom

Article

Update : April 10, 2024

The dominant narratives of unlimited growth, economic performance, profit maximization, and competition have guided our thinking, choices, and behaviour as a society for many years. Now, we are being confronted with the harsh reality of ecological limits: resource depletion, mass extinction, climate disruption, and other serious repercussions. According to an assessment by the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS), Quebecers are consuming twice as many natural resources as is ecologically viable. Given these facts, we have to ask ourselves if growth at all costs is really the only path forward. In fact, there are many other avenues worth exploring.

Reducing consumption, sharing, and slowing down are the foundations of degrowth and sufficiency. During this time of frenzied (over)consumption, we’d like to share three resources to help your students discover that it’s possible to do things differently.

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Learning and evaluation situations (resources in French)
Informative reading (books in French)
Inspiring video content (content and resources in French)

Learning and evaluation situations (resources in French)

“Développement durable ou décroissance ?” Ethics and Religious Culture. Cycle 2. 5 to 7 classes. Lab22.*
Students perform an ethical analysis of two approaches to climate change (sustainable development and degrowth) through appropriate use of dialogue.
“Débattre au parlement pour mon avenir.” French. Cycle 2. 10 to 11 classes. Lab22.*
By the end of this lesson sequence, students will be able to develop oral and written arguments about the possible impacts of degrowth and sustainable development.
“J’épargne ma planète” kit. Ethics and Religious Culture. Cycle 2. Mouvement ACTES.
The goal of the educational activities in this kit is to enable students to develop a broader, more informed, and more critical view of the economic sphere and identify their place and role within this system.

Informative reading (books in French)

Have you ever heard of the publisher Écosociété? Their books help readers develop critical thinking skills by defining the building blocks of a society that respects ecological limits, a democracy that is more responsive to the people, and an economic model that responds to the challenges of the 21st century.

Here are two relevant books from this publisher that could enrich your perspective on some of the central topics of the education program and improve your teaching approach.

Énergie : L’emballement du monde, énergie et domination dans l’histoire des sociétés humaines. Victor Court. 2023
Économie : La voie de la sobriété, la troisième courbe ou la fin de la croissance. Mansoor Khan. 2022.

Inspiring video content (content and resources in French)

DEMAIN, a film directed by Cyril Dorion and Mélanie Laurent. What if showing solutions and telling a positive story was the best way to solve the ecological, economic, and social crises facing our world?
As part of its film discussion resource collection, Lab22 has produced an educational worksheet you can use with your students to reflect on and discuss the movie after watching it.
Series of short videos on degrowth from Radio-Canada. Journalist Olivier Arbour-Masse explains the principle of degrowth in an accessible way. The ecological crisis seems increasingly inevitable, and many people believe that the perpetual growth on which our economic system is based is responsible for environmental degradation.

During this festive time, we wish you moments of shared joy in good company! Let’s take this opportunity to consume less, share more, and slow down so we can savour life’s simple pleasures. Happy holidays!

* Contact a Lab22 advisor to receive this LES.

Author

Marie-Ève Lachance-Foisy - Since April 2022, Marie-Ève has been actively involved in Lab22’s core mission of promoting environmental responsibility and citizenship in Quebec high schools as an ecological transition advisor. Her career path, which began with completing a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, has opened her eyes to how deeply environmental and social issues are interconnected and the importance of our responsibility to take action. As an advisor to members of the educational community, Marie-Ève is able to combine her two main interests, nature and human relationships. She is passionate about helping people discover the profoundly rewarding experience of uniting behind a common cause.

Learning and evaluation situations (resources in French)

Informative reading (books in French)

Inspiring video content (content and resources in French)

Author

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