Teaching to Change the World: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

“Be a global citizen. Act with passion and compassion. Help us make this world safer and more sustainable today and for the generations that will follow us. That is our moral responsibility.” Former UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon

Take a moment to ask yourself: Why do you teach psychology? Do you love science and want to share that passion? Is it just a job or were you simply assigned the class? Is it because you think psychology can be a catalyst for positive change in peoples’ lives, communities, or indeed, the world?  I imagine that if you are like me, all these rationales have a degree of truth. However, the last idea really taps into the dreamer in me as I envision a better world—a world in which psychology can serve as a productive foundation. As such, I often integrate topics into my psychology courses, particularly introductory psychology, which transform psychological concepts and research into practices aimed at improving lives around the globe. One way to engage students in such a vision is through application of psychological science through the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

Many psychology teachers and students may be unfamiliar with the SDGs and the effect of these goals within their own communities, as well as internationally. Moreover, they may not see the immediate connection to psychological science. All too often, the SDGs are framed as issues solely relevant to the economic development of states, international relations, or environmental sustainability. Yet, at the heart of these goals are issues affecting students’ immediate lives and their communities, such as poverty, gender inequality, meaningful work, freedom from hunger, peaceful communities, quality education, and the challenge of inequities. Indeed, one of the SDGs focuses entirely on good health and well-being—a topic firmly rooted in psychology. 

In 2015, the General Assembly of the UN adopted the 2030 SDGs building on the work of the Millennium Development Goals. These goals are grounded in human rights documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and related Covenants, Conventions, Protocols, and Declarations. Many of these international treaties focus on issues of social, cultural, economic, civil, and political rights as well as the rights of specific populations (e.g., aged, indigenous, women, children, disabled). Each of the UN member states commit to these goals and regularly report progress as well as failures. At the root of many of the SDGs are issues related to inequity and inequality. As such, human rights and social justice are embedded within the SDGs.

Each of the SDGs is built around the realization of human rights and social justice for all. If you are unfamiliar with the SDGs, take a moment to exploreopens in new window. As you will see, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are interconnected and multidimensional and address a broad range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. Moreover, every country, including the United States (US) has a set of goals and documents their progress. You can look at the goals for the US and other countries via the UN SDGs Dashboardopens in new window. It is interesting to review the goals, examine the progress or decline on various indicators, and look at policy efforts. Currently, the US currently ranks 41 out of 163 member states. So much of the information is directly related to each of our students’ lives and the well-being of their communities.  It is not a topic that only affects individuals or nations “over there.” 

Psychology as a science explores human behavior, cognitions, emotions, and motivations and as such, has a significant relationship to each of the SDGs. So how can we integrate this information into our courses? First, it is important to recognize that it is not simply about adding new material. If you are teaching Introductory Psychology, I can almost hear you saying: “I have so much I need to teach, how can I fit in one more topic!”  Rather, it is about using the SDGs as an application theme to bring the relevancy of what we teach directly to issues affecting their day-to-day lives. Second, you do not need to address every SDG but can rather select those issues of most importance to your students and their communities. 

There are several approaches you can use to introduce the SDGs to students as you create an application theme across a term or year.  For example, you can select a single SDG theme for the course (e.g., hunger, poverty, gender equality), you can select a different theme to apply to each chapter, or students in groups can select a theme which they will explore creating an application project to share with the class. Each of these approaches can dovetail nicely with APA’s Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI). For instance, if you decide to focus on hunger throughout the term, you can explore how different research methods can be used to study the effects of hunger. You can then select specific topics to explore within each of the pillars, such as the effects of hunger on brain development and functioning, cognitive processing, child development or aging, and health and well-being.  You can also examine how social psychology and information about decision-making can be used to influence policymakers or businesses to promote programs designed to enhance food security, particularly for children. Of course, it is important to remember that these SDG topics are often less hypothetical and more reality for our students (e.g., hunger) and as such, information concerning resources within your schools and communities may be useful to know before you begin this integration.

Integration of the SDGs into Introductory Psychology also fits within the IPI identification of psychology’s integrative themes (PDF, 43KB)opens in new window . As featured within the IPI Student Learning Outcomes for Introductory Psychology (PDF, 40KB)opens in new window, theme D is “Psychology values diversity, promotes equity, and fosters inclusion in pursuit of a more just society.” Using that as a framework, students can explore how psychology can be used to advocate for social justice by addressing issues related to inequality, discrimination, and social exclusion with an eye towards sustainable change. They can examine ways that psychology can be used to promote equitable access to resources, opportunities, and services, which contribute to the eradication of poverty, hunger, and other forms of social injustice. Theme F is “Applying psychological principles can change our lives, organizations, and communities in positive ways.” Within the context of the SDGs, students can create projects with specific recommendations aimed at changing behaviors as well as promoting sustainable lifestyles and communities.  

As you begin this integration, remember that you do not have to invent the wheel. You can always turn to the research literature but also you can explore resources from the UN and APA. The UN has an excellent page with information on a range of topics available through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rightsopens in new window.  APA policies extend across a range of SDG issues from climate changes to deep poverty. Each policy paper and resolution include extensive references which can be used in class. The APA Public Interest Directorate is also a great resource with separate pages related to a host of SDGs related issues such as health equity, gender, violence prevention, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity.  For international issues, you can explore APA’s Office of International Affairs, APA at the UN, and the Global Psychology Alliance pages. Most importantly, you can let your students lead in this exploration. Teach them to use psychology as foundational on their path to greater social responsibility and global citizenship.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela.