Environmental Identity and Natural Resources: A Dialogical Learning Process (original) (raw)

Ecological Identity through Dialogue

Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 2011

Martin Buber's philosophy of dialogue offers an epistemic and ontological orientation upon which an ecological identity can be established as part of an integrated, environmental education. I consider here the significance of a relational self in establishing this ecological identity, as well as the benefits of doing so. This relational, dialogical self is developed through a comprehensive, integrated approach of nurturing dialogical capacities: becoming aware by confirmation of the other, and empathic inclusion. In turn, these capacities can be developed through a praxis of dialogue that includes artistic, contemplative, and relational pedagogical practices.

Environmental Identity Development through Social Interactions, Action, & Recognition

This article uses sociocultural identity theory to explore how practice, action, and recognition can facilitate environmental identity development. Recognition, a construct not previously explored in environmental identity literature, is particularly examined. The study is based on a diverse group of teens who traveled to South Asia to participate in a global education program focused on climate change impacts. Kempton and Holland's (2003) environmental identity model is applied to find that different types of social interactions fostered different types of identity development. Interactions with people affected by climate change helped participants move toward salience, while interactions with their peers helped youth in environmental action. An additional finding was the importance of diversity within social interactions in shaping environmental identity.

Educational and Psychological Aspects of Developing of Ecological Identity

Science International Journal, 2024

The ecological crisis results from diverse factors like lifestyle choices, behaviors, corporate interests, and environmental protection shortcomings. Ward (cited in Corraliza & Collado, 2019) links the crisis to inadequate adaptive behavior driven by human values and beliefs. Ecologically responsible behavior involves awareness, understanding, and active participation in environmental protection (Hungerford & Volk, 1990). Education is pivotal in fostering pro-environmental behavior. Lehman and Geller (2004) highlight educational aspects like information, encouragement, modeling, and commitment. This study aims to explore ecological identity's role in overall identity development, shaped significantly by environmental education. 2. ECOLOGICAL IDENTITY Ecological identity encompasses individuals' perceptions of their connection to the Earth, shaping their personality and self-awareness (Tomashow: Clayton, Opotow, 2004: 407). Clayton (2003) underscores its significance in self-concept formation, emphasizing nature's intrinsic importance. In literature, terms like connectedness to nature, ecological identity, and ecological self-identity are closely related (Balunde et al., 2019). Two core attitudes define ecological identity: anthropocentric and ecocentric (Thompson, Barton, 1994). Anthropocentric views prioritize nature for human well-being, while ecocentric perspectives highlight nature's intrinsic value and spiritual significance (Naess, Gleeson, Light: Kopnina, Cocis, 2017).

Dialogue as a basis for the design of environmental pedagogies

Colonizing processes take many forms. Although they are generally related to the use of force, they may also happen through subtler means such as education, and subconsciously, whenever educational proposals are designed to suit a wide variety of contexts. This essay suggests that environmental pedagogies should be based on a dialogical mindset and methods, where all participants are seen as subjects and there is no desire to coerce, seduce, correct, convert or persuade others. Based on the bibliographical review, the article unveils the concept of dialogue and recommends four important skills for the creation of dialogical spaces. In times when cultural standardization leads to environmental degradation, dialogical pedagogies foster a better comprehension of individuals’ and collectives’ identities and, by doing so, collaborate with the maintenance of socio-diversity.

Bringing Identity Theory into Environmental Sociology

Sociological Theory, 2003

In an effort to explain pro-environmental behavior, environmental sociologists often study environmental attitudes. While much of this work is atheoretical, the focus on attitudes suggests that researchers are implicitly drawing upon attitude theory in psychology. The present research brings sociological theory to environmental sociology by drawing on identity theory to understand environmentally responsive behavior. We develop an environment identity model of environmental behavior that includes not only the meanings of the environment identity, but also the prominence and salience of the environment identity and commitment to the environment identity. We examine the identity process as it relates to behavior, though not to the exclusion of examining the effects of environmental attitudes. The findings reveal that individual agency is important in influencing environmentally responsive behavior, but this agency is largely through identity processes, rather than attitude processes. ...

Identity and Culture: theorising emergent environmentalism

Environmental Education Research, 1999

Research (EER), 4(4). We challenge both the ontological stance implicit in the research as well as its explicit epistemology. We argue for a wider theoretical underpinning to the research and specifically advocate the use of identity theories to explain personal and social phenomena. We also argue for the use of theoretical frameworks that empower rather than 'capture' cultural groups.

Miller, A. 2010. Cultivating the Ecological Self through Experiential Learning

My aim in this project is to develop a model for cultivating the Ecological Self using experiential learning. The word ecology derives from the Greek oikos meaning ‘household’, and essentially concerns the study of living systems, their relationships and web of interconnections. Arne Naess coined the term Ecosophy to describe the transformation of the ego-self to encompass a larger self concept or Ecological Self. Aldo Leopold contributed to this concept of an Ecological Self through his concept of a ‘land ethic’, which embraced all aspects of the earth as being intrinsically valuable, not just humankind. Naess argued that identification with something greater than the individual egoic self, an Ecological Self, would result in environmentally responsible behavior as a form of self interest. Naess argued that realizing that we are a small egoic self within the larger ecological whole would cause us to act with an expanded sense of Self-interest. Realizing an expanded identity we would act with an expanded sense of care for the earth. Various other writers have contributed to defining the Ecological Self and I will elucidate their contributions later in this paper.

The Balanced Structure of Environmental Identity

Sustainability

Connectedness with nature refers to an individual’s beliefs about their relationship with the natural environment. The current paper integrates connectedness with nature into a broader framework of balanced identity theory as a form of self-concept, and presents new data showing that individuals tend toward balanced-congruity and hold cognitive configurations that balance self-concept, environmental attitudes, and self-esteem. In essence, when an individual scores highly on one of these constructs, it is likely that they will score highly on the other two constructs. Two hundred and seventy-six undergraduate students completed explicit and implicit measures of connectedness with nature, attitudes toward nature, and self-esteem. The balanced-congruity principle was supported with implicit measures (e.g., Implicit Association Test), but not explicitly with self-report measures. Results suggest that attitudes toward nature, connectedness with nature, and self-esteem form a balanced tri...