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Helpful prior knowledge and learning objectives
Helpful prior knowledge and learning objectives
Helpful prior learning:
Section 1.1.1 The economy and you, which explains what an economy is and how it is relevant to students’ lives
Section 1.1.2 The embedded economy, which explains the relationship between the economy and society and Earth’s systems
Section 1.1.4 Regenerative economies, which explains how circular, distributive and caring, needs-based and sufficient economies can meet human needs within planetary boundaries
Section 4.1.1 The commons as a system, which explains the parts, relationships, and functions of the commons and the relationship between the commons and other provisioning institutions
Section 4.1.4 The role of care in commoning, which explains the role of care in commoning and describes practices that enhance care in commoning, and the wider economy
Section S.1 What are systems?, which explains what a system is, the importance of systems boundaries, the difference between open and closed systems and the importance of systems thinking
Section S.2 Systems thinking patterns, which outlines the core components of systems thinking: distinctions (thing/other), systems (part/whole), relationships (action/reaction), and perspectives (point/view)
Learning objectives:
discuss the importance of education for raising awareness of and practising commoning skills
In this book on Regenerative Economics, you learn that economies are more than markets. They rely on four key provisioning institutions: households, markets, the state, and the commons. While markets and the state often get the most attention, the commons—a way for communities to share and manage resources together—is equally important.
In societies dominated by market forces, where private ownership is the norm, it’s often hard to imagine alternative ways of organising. Learning about commoning demonstrates how communities can responsibly manage shared spaces, knowledge, and resources. It fosters cooperation skills and builds trust, ensuring shared resources are cared for and preserved for now and for future generations.
Figure 1. Learning about the commons gives you a different perspective on how humans can organise to meet their needs
(Credit: Higher than clouds, Licenced from Adobe Stock)
Why do people in market-based economies learn so little about commoning?
Why do people in market-based economies learn so little about commoning?
While some communities practice commoning in a wide variety of ways every day (Figure 2), market-based economies often overlook it. These systems focus on individual ownership, competition, and markets, treating resources as goods to buy, sell, or privately own (Section 4.1.3). Shared spaces and resources often seem like rare exceptions.
This market-centered view frames commoning as a threat to market and state power (Section 4.4.3). As a result, people undervalue the role of commoning in healthy social and ecological systems. Diverse economies that include commons are stronger and more resilient, much like biodiverse ecosystems. Just like varied species help ecosystems adapt to change, commons foster cooperation, deepen social connections, and protect shared resources so that communities can better adapt to changing economic, social and ecological conditions.
Figure 2. The Community Economies iceberg, revealing the vast invisible economic activity done outside the market.
(Credit: Community Economies Collective, CC BY-SA 4.0)
How can we improve education and awareness for commoning?
How can we improve education and awareness for commoning?
We can educate for commoning, raising awareness of the diverse ways that people can work together to protect and manage the resources they depend on.
Teach commoning in schools and further education
Teach commoning in schools and further education
Schools can teach commoning by introducing students to the shared resources and commoning practices happening right in their own communities. History, environmental studies, and economics classes can explore collective resource management, from ancient irrigation systems to modern communal kitchens. Stories and real-life examples make commoning relatable. For instance, learning about a community managing a shared forest or creating renewable energy cooperatives helps students see commoning as both practical and achievable.
Hands-on projects like school gardens, recycling programs, or class libraries allow students to practise commoning. These activities teach planning, collaboration, and the value of balancing personal and collective needs. Early exposure to these practices prepares students to engage in commoning beyond the classroom, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and care.
Figure 3. Children can learn important commoning skills through creating and caring for a school garden.
(Credit: Nasirun Khan, Pexels licence)
Promote local commoning initiatives
Promote local commoning initiatives
Community programs and initiatives also encourage commoning. Workshops, community centers, and campaigns create spaces to learn and practise commoning. For example, community-supported agriculture (CSA) connects farmers and urban residents who commit to buying shares of a farm’s harvest. Similarly, repair cafes or tool-sharing programs encourage resource sharing, reducing waste and reliance on individual ownership.
Social events like commoning festivals or community cleanup days bring people together to care for shared spaces. These gatherings build skills, strengthen social cohesion, and support a sense of belonging. Role models in the community can also inspire others to engage in commoning. Whether it’s a local leader who started a cooperative or a group of young activists protecting a community garden, real-life examples can show that commoning is not just an idea, but a practical and achievable way of life.
Figure 4. Community kitchens can bring local people together to practice commoning skills.
(Credit: public domain)
The role of the media
The role of the media
The media shapes how people understand commoning. News articles, documentaries, and social media stories can make commoning visible, highlighting how communities around the world manage shared resources. Unfortunately, we often only hear about people coming together in times of crisis, like natural disasters or economic downturns, making cooperation seem relevant only in emergencies.
But commoning isn’t just for crises; it’s essential for creating resilient communities that adapt to ecological, social, and economic challenges. When the media showcases successful initiatives, like renewable energy projects or shared fishing grounds, it proves that commoning works in everyday life. These stories inspire sustainable living, demonstrating that cooperation builds stronger, healthier communities—not just in response to challenges, but to prevent them.
Figure 5. Positive news stories about successful commoning are important to spread the word about what’s possible. This article is about a CSA in Frankfurt, Germany titled “The new way to buy vegetables”.
(Credit: Frankfurter Rundschau)
Activity 4.4.5
Activity 4.4.5
Concept: Regeneration
Skills: Reflection, Thinking skills (creative thinking)
Time: varies, depending on the option
Type: Individual, pairs, or group
Option 1: Reflecting on your own learning about the commons
Time: 20-30 minutes
Respond to the following reflection prompt by writing, audio recording, or discussing with a partner, small group or class:
How has studying the commons changed the way you think about how people can organise themselves to meet human needs?
Do you see opportunities in your own life and in your community for commoning? If so, where and how?
Option 2: Media analysis and re-visioning
Time: 40+ minutes (time depends on whether a teacher can organise a video news segment, or provide sample pages from a news source to work with)
Watch the daily news on TV, read the headlines of an online news publication, or look at a printed news publication.
How many, if any, stories can you identify that focus on commoning?
Take one story you find, that is NOT about commoning. Try to rewrite the story so that it is transformed to show commoning instead.
Ideas for longer activities and projects are listed in Subtopic 4.5 Taking action
Checking for understanding
Checking for understanding
Further exploration
Further exploration
How to Citizen - a podcast exploring the perspectives and practices people are using to wield collective power to build a better future. Difficulty level: easy
Participedia - A global network and crowdsourcing platform for researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, activists, and anyone interested in public participation and democratic innovations. Includes a searchable map of democratic innovations. Difficulty level: medium
Grassroots Economics: Reflection and Practice - a book exploring strategies for commoning by Will Ruddick. The PDF of the book is available as a free download. Difficulty level: easy
Sources
Sources
Anantharaman, M. (2018). “The commons as a template for transformation in higher education”. Democracy & Education, 26(2), Article 3. https://democracyeducationjournal.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1459&context=home
Community Economies Collective. (n.d.). Diverse economies iceberg. https://www.communityeconomies.org/resources/diverse-economies-iceberg
Korsgaard, M. T. (2018). “Education and the concept of commons: A pedagogical reinterpretation”. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 51(5), 489–500. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2018.1485564
Pantazidis, S. (2023). “Educating through commons-based pedagogical practices: Action research in primary education”. Journal of Education, Teaching and Management, 2(2), 45–60. https://journals.eikipub.com/index.php/jetm/article/view/189/143
Terminology (in order of appearance)
Terminology (in order of appearance)
provisioning institution: a group of people and their relationships as they try to meet human needs and wants
household: a system where people living together care for each other and do domestic work, often termed the 'core economy'
market: a system where people buy and sell goods and services for a price.
state: a system that provides essential public services, and also governs and regulates other economic institutions
commons: a system where people self-organise to co-produce and manage shared resources.
norm: a social rule for accepted and expected behaviour, can be stated or unstated
system: a set of interdependent parts that organise to create a functional whole
biodiversity: the variety of living organisms on Earth
ecosystem: the interaction of groups of organisms with each other and their physical environment
species: a group of organisms with similar characteristics, where the individuals are capable of interbreeding
economics: the study and practice of how we organise ourselves to meet human needs and wants in the planetary ‘household.
renewable energy: energy from sources that are continuously available or regenerate quickly
cooperative: an organisation owned and controlled by people to meet their common economic, social, and/or cultural needs
recycling: the process of converting waste into reusable material
care: the act of providing what is necessary for the health, welfare, upkeep, and protection of someone or something
campaign: work in an organised and active way towards a particular goal, often political or social
community-supported agriculture (CSA): where people from a neighbourhood or town pool their money to support a local farm; they pay the farmer upfront at the beginning of the season, and in return, they receive a share of the farm’s produce each week
repair cafe: an organisation providing people with a place to gather and work on repairing objects of everyday life
waste: unwanted or unusable materials
social cohesion: the extent to which people in society feel connected to one another and share common values
cooperative: an organisation owned and controlled by people to meet their common economic, social, and/or cultural needs
resilient: able to recover after a disturbance
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