REFRAMING CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY: A REVIEW OF HUMAN-CENTRIC, TECHNO-CENTRIC, AND POST-ANTHROPOCENTRIC PARADIGMS

Abstract

The systematic review critically examined the evolving landscape of campus sustainability through the lens of three dominant paradigms: human-centric, techno-centric, and post-anthropocentric approaches. Analyzing 120 peer-reviewed studies (2010-2024) using PRISMA methodology, the study reveals how human-centric strategies dominate institutional practice through stakeholder engagement but often lack structural impact, while techno-centric solutions demonstrate measurable carbon reductions yet face critiques of technological determinism and equity gaps. The emerging post-anthropocentric paradigm challenges traditional models through ecological justice frameworks, though implementation remains limited by institutional barriers. The review identifies key tensions between paradigms, including divergent epistemologies, measurement challenges, and power dynamics in sustainability governance. Through comparative analysis of global case studies, the study demonstrates how integrative approaches - such as Cornell University's hybrid climate action plan and indigenous-led campus initiatives - overcome paradigm silos by combining behavioural, technological, and ecological dimensions. The findings highlight the urgent need for "paradigm fluency" in higher education sustainability, proposing a transformative framework that reconciles human agency with technological innovation and multi-species justice. Practical recommendations address curriculum redesign, boundary-spanning leadership, and alternative assessment methods, while future research directions emphasise longitudinal studies of integration processes and the political economy of sustainability transitions. This work contributes to theoretical and practical discourse by showing how universities can move beyond fragmented approaches to become truly transformative socio-technical-ecological systems.