As a scholar, I\u2019m interested in sustainability because it is, by nature, a problem that can only be understood and solved through interdisciplinary approaches. This means that researching sustainable development forces you into dialogue with scholars you might otherwise have nothing to do with. This is a really enriching experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the book which you just edited about?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While the SDGs are quite new \u2013 they date back only to 2015 \u2013 the various issues with which they concern themselves\u2014conflict, inequality, environmental degradation, and economic hardship, to name but a few \u2013have accompanied humans for centuries, if not millennia. The goal that my co-editor Dan Gorman and I set for this book was to present this longer history, what we call the backstory, to each of the 17 SDGs. And we were able to recruit a diverse and outstanding group of contributors to help us do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is this book written for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We wrote the book with the many sustainability professionals and students in mind \u2013 so, policymakers, government and NGO officials, students, scholars, corporate CSR managers\u2026anyone who is working on or towards the SDGs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SDGs are, of course, complex and I think it\u2019s important to bring all of the available perspectives and academic disciplines to bear. There are a lot of books on the SDGs, from the political perspective, the financial perspective, the ecological perspective, and so on. But there is very little on the historical perspective, and so this was the gap that we wanted to fill. With our book, these sustainability professionals have yet another perspective to draw on in understanding the work that they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We approached a lot of different presses with our idea. Some academic presses are more commercially minded, and others prioritize cutting-edge science. I think Oxford is that unique press that has a high standard on both fronts. For example, the peer-review process was more intense than what I\u2019ve experienced with international journals of comparable standing. At the same time, everyone at Oxford, from the editors to the marketing team, was extremely engaged and pushed us to produce a coherent and accessible manuscript. Dan and I went through 17 drafts of the introductory chapter before everyone was happy with the writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As to why Oxford signed the book, I suppose we would have to ask them. But I suspect it helped that our book took a novel perspective on a topic that is relevant \u2013 both in scholarship and in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Putting together a book like this is as much an exercise in project management as it is in science. What was particularly challenging in this case was the sheer diversity of scholars: economics, anthropology, political science, earth science, food policy, water engineering, geography, and, of course, history, are all represented among the authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this reason, we all came into this with different assumptions, priorities, and methodological preferences. In the end, of course, I think this is one of the most valuable aspects of the book \u2013 it brings together so many different perspectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As far as I can tell, the reception has been positive. It\u2019s been an enriching experience for me personally because people from all over the world have reached out to me to share their stories and perspectives on working towards the SDGs, and to tell me how the book evolved their thinking. But also to challenge me in my assumptions and perspectives on sustainable development. I\u2019ve learned almost as much through these post-publication encounters as I did during the whole process of putting the book together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer is, of course, both. With that said, one recurring theme that stands out when we examine the history of profound societal change is that the pressure to do so often came from the bottom up, with governments playing only a belated, reactionary role. In that sense, how history is taught in many traditional textbooks \u2013 with a focus on what presidents, prime ministers, and kings said and did \u2013 gives us a skewed picture of how societies transform. With the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire, the right to vote for women in numerous countries, and the Civil Rights movement in the US, the driving force was masses of people, slowly but surely advocating for change. I think the same is true for sustainable development. My kids insist on me taking them to the Fridays for Future demonstrations in our hometown \u2013 and I think that\u2019s a great thing! It gives me a lot of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Autor und Dozent<\/p> Institut f\u00fcr Kommunikation und Marketing IKM<\/p><\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hub.hslu.ch\/ikm\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/489\/files\/sites\/8\/Bild-1-702x468.jpg\")
How did you manage to get the book published by such a renowned university press?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are 31 contributors to the book. What is it like to coordinate the work of so many writers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What has the reception been so far?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is it the responsibility of every individual to behave sustainably or is it a government responsibility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hub.hslu.ch\/ikm\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/489\/files\/sites\/8\/Bild4.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div><\/div>Dr. Martin Gutmann<\/h2>