4.4.5 Educating for commoning

Helpful prior knowledge and learning objectives

Helpful prior learning:


Learning objectives:

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.

An illustration of a head and brain connected to a lightbulb, representing an idea or imagination

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?

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.

An illustration of an iceberg with many forms of non-market activity below the surface of the water

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?

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

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.

Photograph of three young children watering plants

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

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 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.

Headline and photograph of the Die Kooperative CSA from the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper

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

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:



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. 


Ideas for longer activities and projects are listed in Subtopic 4.5 Taking action

Checking for understanding

Further exploration

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

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)

Link to Quizlet interactive flashcards and terminology games for Section 4.4.5 Educating for commoning


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