ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on some existing approaches from political science, sociology, management studies and social psychology in order to outline a conceptual framework for the analysis of social learning processes towards sustainability. It highlights the need for social learning in the context of sustainability and leads to a related definition of social learning. The chapter discusses concepts of social and political learning that have been developed in political science. It sketches out a conceptual framework that focuses on societal actors as change agents in social learning processes towards sustainability. The chapter specifies the meaning of social learning that is relevant for a transition towards sustainable development. It refers to social learning as processes of learning that take place on a collective level constituting changes that are more than the mere sum of individual contributions to it. The chapter concentrates on the practical outcomes that foster sustainable development.
