Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

“We Are All Nature”—Young Children’s Statements About Nature

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Ecocritical Perspectives on Children's Texts and Cultures

Part of the book series: Critical Approaches to Children's Literature ((CRACL))

Abstract

Children’s understanding of the relationship between humans and the rest of nature is important. Meeting young children in natural landscapes, Hallås and Heggen in this chapter carried out dialogue-based interviews focusing on children’s relationship with the area, and their general concepts of nature. Analysing the children’s statements with the aid of the NatCul Matrix, their statements were found to be distributed between anthropocentric, ecocentric, celebrating and problematizing views. In contrast to earlier research, children aged five to seven years show ecocentric understandings of the relationships between humans and nature. Implications for further research are highlighted at the end of the chapter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Works Cited

  • Beery, T. H., & Wolf-Watz, D. (2014). Nature to Place: Rethinking the Environmental Connectedness Perspective. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 40, pp. 198–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, N. (2008). Ethics in Child Research: Rights, Reason and Responsibilities. Children’s Geographies, 6(1), pp. 7–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentsen, P., Mygind, E., & Randrup, T. B. (2009). Towards an Understanding of Udeskole: Education Outside the Classroom in a Danish Context. Education, 3(13), pp. 29–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkeland, T. (2016). Forhandling om natur—kultur, en økokritisk lesing av Jörg Mûller og Jörg Steiners bildebok Kaninliv (1978). Barnelitterært forskningstidsskrift, 7, pp. 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brenner, M. E. (2006). Interviewing in Educational Research. In: J. L. Green, G. Camilli & P. B. Elmore eds., Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research. United States of America: American Educational Research Association, pp. 357–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, R. (1956). Help Your Child to Wonder. Released by Council of Liberal Churches (Universalist-Unitarian) Incorporated, Division of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, R. (1965). The Sense of Wonder. New York: Harper Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavanagh, S. (1997). Content Analysis: Concepts, Methods and Applications. Nurse Researcher, 4(3), pp. 198–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chawla, L. (2006). Learning to Love the Natural World Enough to Protect It. Barn: Nytt fra forskning om barn i Norge, 2, pp. 57–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, J. C.-H., & Monroe, M. C. (2012). Connection to Nature: Children’s Affective Attitude Toward Nature. Environment and Behavior, 44(1), pp. 31–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, J. & Elliott, S. eds. (2014). Research in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability: International Perspectives and Provocations. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson, E. (2013). The Misdiagnosis: Rethinking “Nature-Deficit Disorder”. Environmental Communication, 7(3), pp. 315–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson, E. (2016). Ecocultural Conversations: Bridging the Human-Nature Divide Through Connective Communication Practices. Southern Communication Journal, 81(1), pp. 32–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Engdahl, I., & Rabušicová, M. (2011). Children’s Voices About the State of the Earth. International Journal of Early Childhood, 43(2), pp. 153–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewert, A. W., Mitten, D. S., & Overholt, J. R. (2014). Natural Environments and Human Health. Oxfordshire: Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fauskanger, J., & Mosvold, R. (2014). Innholdsanalysens muligheter i utdanningsforskning. Norsk pedagogisk Tidsskrift, 98(2), pp. 127–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fjørtoft, I. (2001). The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: The Impact of Outdoor Play Activities in Pre-primary School Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), pp. 111–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, R. (2017). Connection with Nature Is an Oxymoron: A Political Ecology of “Nature-Deficit Disorder”. The Journal of Environmental Education, 48(4), pp. 226–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fløttum, K. Rivenes, V., & Dahl, T. (2014). Ungdommers forståelse og holdninger til klima. Naturen, 6, pp. 242–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, J. H., & Fontana, A. (2005). The Interview: From Neutral Stance to Political Involvement. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, pp. 695–726.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goga, N. (2016). Miljøbevissthet og språkbevissthet. Om ungdomsskoleelevers møte med klimalitteratur. Norsklæreren, 3, pp. 60–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grindheim, L. T. (2017). Children as Playing Citizens. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25(4), pp. 624–636.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurholt, K. P., & Sanderud, J. R. (2016). Curious Play: Children’s Exploration of Nature. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(4), pp. 318–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsson, L., & Pramling, N. (2014). The Educational Nature of Different Ways Teachers Communicate with Children About Natural Phenomena. International Journal of Early Years Education, 22(1), pp. 59–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallås, B. O. & Karlsen, G. (2015). Innledning. In: B. O. Hallås & G. Karlsen eds., Natur og danning. Profesjonsutøvelse, barnehage og skole. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget, pp. 13–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallås, B. O., Sæle, O. R., & Løtveit, K. (2017). Natursyn en undervisningsdag på ungdomstrinnet—ved, på og i sjø. Vann, (52)3, pp. 307–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heggen, M. P. (2015). Bærekraftig utvikling i norske barnehager—et spørsmål om naturfølelse? In: B. O. Hallås & G. Karlsen eds., Natur og danning. Profesjonsutøvelse, barnehage og skole. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget, pp. 117–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heggen, M. P. (2016). Education for Sustainable Development in Norway. In International Research on Education for Sustainable Development in Early Childhood. Springer International Publishing, pp. 91–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), pp. 1277–1288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen, K.-A. (2015). Bringing the Jellyfish Home: Environmental Consciousness and ‘Sense of Wonder’ in Young Children’s Encounters with Natural Landscapes and Places. Environmental Education Research, 22(8), pp. 1139–1157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, P. H. (2002). Children’s Affiliations with Nature: Structure, Development, and the Problem of Environmental Generational Amnesia. In: P. H. Kahn & S. R. Kellert eds., Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations. Cambridge and London: The MIT Press, pp. 93–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Archive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karlsen, G. (2015). Natur og danning. In: B. O. Hallås & G. Karlsen eds., Natur og danning. Profesjonsutøvelse, barnehage og skole. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget, pp. 21–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kellert, S. R. (2002). Experiencing Nature: Affective, Cognitive, and Evaluative Development in Children. In: P. H. Kahn & S. R. Kellert eds., Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations. Cambridge and London: The MIT Press, pp. 117–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klepsvik, K., & Heggen, M. P. (2015). Ta naturen tilbake i barnehagen. In: B. O. Hallås & G. Karlsen eds., Natur og danning. Profesjonsutøvelse, barnehage og skole. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget, pp. 95–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krempig, I. W., & Utsi, T. Aa. (2017). Folkehelsearbeid med kosthold i barnehagen. In: B. U. Wilhelmsen eds., Mat- og måltidsaktiviteter i barnehagen. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, pp. 81–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kvale, S. (2007). InterViews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Louv, R. (2009). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. London: Atlantic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynngård, A. M. (2015). På jakt etter naturfag i natur- og friluftsbarnehagen. In: B. O. Hallås & G. Karlsen eds., Natur og danning. Profesjonsutøvelse, barnehage og skole. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget, pp. 135–155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lysklett, O. B., & Berger, H. B. (2017). What Are the Characteristics of Nature Preschools in Norway, and How Do They Organize Their Daily Activities? Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 17(2), pp. 95–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, J. (2006). Mixing Methods in a Qualitatively Driven Way. Qualitative Research, 6(1), pp. 9–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacQuarrie, S., Nugent, C., & Warden, C. (2015). Learning with Nature and Learning from Others: Nature as Setting and Resource for Early Childhood Education. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 15(1), pp. 1–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malterud, K. (2012). Fokusgrupper som forskningsmetode for medisin og helsefag. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, F. S., & Frantz, C. M. (2004). The Connectedness to Nature Scale: A Measure of Individuals’ Feeling in Community with Nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24(4), pp. 503–515.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKibben, B. (1990). The End of Nature. New York: Viking Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melhuus, E. C. (2012). Outdoor Day-Care Centres—A Culturalization of Nature: How Do Children Relate to Nature as Educational Practice? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 20(3), pp. 455–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • NVivo. (2015). Qualitative Data Analysis Software; QSR International Pty Ltd. Version 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, L. (2009). Learning Outdoors: The Forest School Approach. Education 3-13, 37(1), pp. 45–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, F., Castéra, J., & Clément, P. (2015). Teachers’ Conceptions of the Environment: Anthropocentrism, Non-anthropocentrism, Anthropomorphism and the Place of Nature. Environmental Education Research, 22(6), pp. 893–917.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, J. J. (2010 [1762]). Emile. Eller om oppdragelse. Oslo: Vidarforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelsson, I. P. (2011). Why We Should Begin Early with ESD: The Role of Early Childhood Education. International Journal of Early Childhood, 43(2), pp. 103–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandseter, E. B. H. (2009). Affordances for Risky Play in Preschool: The Importance of Features in the Play Environment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(5), pp. 439–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandseter, E. B. H., & Kennair, L. E. O. (2011). Children’s Risky Play from an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences. Evolutionary Psychology, 9(2).

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, P., & Tabanico, J. (2007). Self, Identity, and the Natural Environment: Exploring Implicit Connections with Nature. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37(6), pp. 1219–1247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sjöblom, P., & Wolff, L.-A. (2017). “It Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Nature”—The Value of Nature According to Finnish Upper Secondary School Students. The Journal of Environmental Education, 48(5), pp. 322–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobel, D. (1996). Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education. Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thulin, S., & Pramling, N. (2009). Anthropomorphically Speaking: On Communication Between Teachers and Children in Early Childhood Biology Education. International Journal of Early Years Education, 17(2), pp. 137–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vetlesen, A. J. (2015). The Denial of Nature: Environmental Philosophy in the Era of Global Capitalism. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wals, A. (2012a). Shaping the Education of Tomorrow. DESD Monitoring and Evaluation, p. 101. Paris, France: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wals, A. (2012b). Learning Our Way Out of Un-sustainability: The Role of Environmental Education. In: S. D. Clayton ed., Oxford Handbook on Environmental and Conservation Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 628–644.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wight, R. A., Kloos, H., Maltbie, C. V., & Carr, V. W. (2016). Can Playscapes Promote Early Childhood Inquiry Towards Environmentally Responsible Behaviors? An Exploratory Study. Environmental Education Research, 22(4), pp. 518–537.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R. (1983). Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zelenski, J. M., & Nisbet, E. K. (2014). Happiness and Feeling Connected. Environment and Behavior, 46(1), pp. 3–23.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the children and teachers who so generously participated in our study. The two authors contributed equally to this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway

    Bjørg Oddrun Hallås & Marianne Presthus Heggen

Authors
  1. Bjørg Oddrun Hallås
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marianne Presthus Heggen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bjørg Oddrun Hallås .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway

    Nina Goga

  2. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway

    Lykke Guanio-Uluru

  3. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway

    Bjørg Oddrun Hallås

  4. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway

    Aslaug Nyrnes

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hallås, B.O., Heggen, M.P. (2018). “We Are All Nature”—Young Children’s Statements About Nature. In: Goga, N., Guanio-Uluru, L., Hallås, B., Nyrnes, A. (eds) Ecocritical Perspectives on Children's Texts and Cultures. Critical Approaches to Children's Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90497-9_16

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation