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A vital Component of Functional Model

An important component of the Functional Model is the Educational Sector in a society. Education is very important that helps shape a society in great extent. Education builds up our values, attitudes and affects our behaviours. It is not that socialisation is not important, but education is far more important.  It enables one to see the world with a very different perspective compare with before. 

Education is a very important element to the promotion of sustainable development no matter under a functional or a conflict model.  Think about it, if there is a lack of environmental insight in a society, neither of the model will focus on environmental issues.  Without these insights, how would a society aware the importance of environmental protection?   

Return to the issue of water crisis in Australia, how many people around you are alarmed by the issue?  How many people around you have an attitude that the Australian Government will be able to fix all the problems?  Is the imminence of the water crisis properly channelled to the mass?  Therefore, environmental education and proper environmental information dissemination by educational sector, activists and communities are very important to any societies to be aware of the reality thus pushing environmental agendas forward.

Education is necessary for the conflict model, and it vital to ensure it is holistic education, where all views can be understood to allow informed decisions to be made. Basically, you need to be sure and understand exactly what you are fighting for. If this not achieved, peoples perceptions of the activists would be idealised for the education they are given.

Activists are often seen as “tree hugging hippies” with tunnel vision, due to the fact that they only display one side of every story. This could be due the passion and fight for their values. As others have mentioned, it is important for activist to raise public awareness about environmental issues, however, without proper education, their fight is virtually worthless, and as it has no solid backbone. The entire community often does not always back environmental activist polices and stances, because of the “tree hugging hippy” stereotypes. Although activist sometimes ‘go too far’, they fight for a worthy cause in saving the environment, often with good outcomes.