Abstract
Inherently political, environmental destruction benefits some while negatively affecting many others. The most crucial environmental concern is learning to critically and dialectically determine the connections between environmental degradation and social injustices (socio-environmental issues). Such knowledge allows for critical understanding of the deeper roots of the causes and effects of environmental devastation. Connections between the environmental and the social are often hidden by those who, in many cases, benefit from specific environmental devastation.
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Notes
- 1.
A biocentric view considers holistically, all human and non-human, effects of environmental devastation.
- 2.
Although humans are part of nature, nature here is defined as everything else on Earth other than humans.
- 3.
There are numerous definitions of ecopedagogy.
- 4.
Education in all spheres (formal, informal, and non-formal (public pedagogy)) is analysed.
- 5.
International education has the same characteristics with the only difference being that comparisons are between two or more nation-states.
- 6.
For example, air pollution does not only affect the area near polluting sources but pollutants are carried with wind without regard of local, national or international borders.
- 7.
For example, it often takes several generations for ill effects of toxic waste disposal to become apparent due to long period of container degradation, or slow seepage to surface.
- 8.
For example, species extinction is often not directly negatively affected by humans but there is an intrinsic right for a species to not become extinct.
- 9.
Praxis here is Freirean defined as theoretical reflection to determine action.
- 10.
The two questions were the following: (1) How do you define sustainable development; and (2) What do you do when someone says ‘Environmental devastation is bad, but its actions determine my, my family’s, and/or my community’s livelihood?’.
- 11.
Reinvention of Freire’s work is a key tenet towards how he defined praxis. He believed that coding and re-coding of theory was essential towards theory becoming relevant.
- 12.
Knowledge must inspire action towards reversal and prevention of environmental problems, beyond concern for their own self-interests. Learning and action must occur beyond liberal sphere, which Weber would define as ideal action behaviour (or value rational behaviour) (McIntosh 1977).
- 13.
Livelihood has many definitions. According to this chapter “A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (both natural and social) and activities required for a means of living; a livelihood” (Chambers and Conway 1992, p. 7). Livelihood goes beyond alleviation of poverty, to include improved local access and control over necessary assets that help lessen one’s vulnerability to environmental shocks and stresses (Roseland and Soots 2007).
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Misiaszek, G. (2012). Transformative Environmental Education Within Social Justice Models: Lessons from Comparing Adult Ecopedagogy Within North and South America. In: Aspin, D., Chapman, J., Evans, K., Bagnall, R. (eds) Second International Handbook of Lifelong Learning. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 26. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2360-3_26
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