LA2010Theorising Education and Ecology

Simon Boxley

Semester 1 2014/15, Tuesday 12:00-2:30, HJB 210

Introduction

The aims and learning outcomes are:

1. Show engagement with primary sources concerned with ecology, environment and education.

2. Show a knowledge of theoretical perspectives and/or works

3. Show an understanding of abstract concepts within theoretical perspectives

4. Show an ability to work with theorists and their concepts in various forms of assessment as appropriate.

The relationship between education and ecology is complex and occurs on a number of levels. In the various weeks of this module we are alternating somewhat between these levels of understanding in order to emphasize their interrelated or interpenetrative nature. the practical, or technical level, the kind of thing which often gets called ‘education

for sustainability’ and involves gaining knowledge of alternative technologies, permaculture, energetics, TEK, etc. I don’t pretend to have much expertise in these areas – perhaps you do – but, although, clearly, these are areas of understanding which would be very important for members of any ecologically sustainable society, in themselves they need not develop in people a felt need to act differently in relation to the planet. However, the impetus to break with ‘modern’ western ways of knowing and to become motivated to acquire this knowledge may follow a belief in change at the economic or political, or ethical or ontological level;

political and economic level, which is inevitably intertwined with the former and the latter, and will be connected with the affective – one’s feeling’s towards the planet and other humans as well as one’s ‘technical’ knowledge; education at this level must implicitly or explicitly make these connections

the ethical level. Environmental ethics are informed by an understanding of the relationships between different forms of life, and by questions over biocentrism or anthropocentrism. These will turn upon the most fundamental level of all

the ontological/cosmological level. Here we are dealing with the most basic assumptions we all make about what life and reality consist in. These fundamental understandings have changed dramatically over the last couple of hundred years – mankind’s unique place in the universe has been questioned and our divine origins overthrown.

Some themes which will run through this module are: ‘the primitive’. You will remember that Rousseau raised the question of humanity in a

‘state of nature’. We will explore whether this concept is useful to tackling how we might go about transforming our current destructive relationship with nature.

consumption, production and desire. These fundamental facets of human life will need to be reexamined in the light of the possibility of education’s role in challenging the cornerstones of our lifestyle, and will also be regarded as both an effect of and/or reason for educational practice.

Interrelatedness. This is perhaps a rather obvious theme for a module aiming to tackle ecology and education. However, we will aim to consider the question of the interrelatedness of individuals/things at both a societal and ontological level, and to see how thinkers propose to teach us to reconceptualise the world in a more fundamentally integrated way.

Assignments

Assessment is split 50/50 between the two essays.

Drawing on theorists considered in this module, contrast two positions on the relationships between humans and the environment.50%. 1750-2000 words, to be submitted week 7, Tuesday Nov 4th.

Note, the title of this essay does not refer to the educational aspects of the theorists’ work. If you chose to focus of theorists whose primary concerns are educational, such as Orr or Illich, you need to present them in such a way that you avoid the possibility of reproducing the same points in the second essay. I will give more guidance on this when I introduce this assignment.

Explain the views of theorists covered in the module on how education might tackle, fail to tackle or worsen the environmental crisis50% 2000-2250 words, to be submitted week 12, Tuesday Dec 9th

Seminar Schedule

1 Can we save the planet? A question of education?

Essential reading:-

Hillman, M. (2004) How We Can Save the Planet, London: Penguin. Pp, 6-26Martin, D. (2014) ‘ Heads are breaking the law if they preach eco agenda, warns Gove: Education Secretary's 'concern' at report that

accuses 'activist' teachers’, MailOnline, available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2601179/Heads-breaking-law-preach-eco-agenda-warns-Gove-Education-Secretarys-concern-report-accuses-activist-teachers.html, accessed 4/9/14

Orr, D. (2004) Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment and the Human Prospect, London: Island Press. Pp. 7-15

Further reading:-

Brown, D. (2013) Climate Change Ethics: Navigating the Perfect Moral Storm, London: RoutledgeHillman, M. (2007) ‘Where do we go from here?’ in Cromwell, D. & Levene, M. (Eds.)(2007) Surviving Climate Change: The Struggle to Avert

Global Catastrophe, London: PlutoLynas, M (2008) Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, London: Harper PerennialMonbiot, G. (2006) Heat : how to stop the planet burning, London : Allen Lane

2 The problem of education

Essential reading:-

Orr, D. (2004) Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment and the Human Prospect, London: Island Press. Pp. 16-34

Further reading:-

Leopold, A. (1968) A Sand County Almanac with Sketches Here and There, London : Oxford University Press

3 From deschooling to decivilizing: the turn to the primitive.

Essential reading:-

Illich, I. (1996) Deschooling Society, London: Marion Boyars. See lecture notes for selected quotes.Zerzan, J. (2002) Running on Emptiness: The Pathology of Civilization, Los Angeles: Feral House. Pp. 1-16

Further reading:-

Rousseau, J. (1974) ‘Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality among Men’ in Rousseau, J., The Discourses and the Social Contract, London: Everyman.

Deschooling:Illich, I. (1973) ‘The Deschooled Society’ in Buckman, P. (Ed.) Education Without Schools, London: Souvenir PressIllich, I. & Verne, E.(1976) Imprisoned in the Global Classroom, London: Readers and Writers Publishing Co-operativeKahn, R & Kellner, D. (2007) ‘Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich: technology, politics and the reconstruction of education’, Policy Futures in

Education, 5(4), pp. 431-448

Decivilizing:Aatola, E. (2010) ‘Deep Ecology and Primitivism’ in Franks B. & Wilson, M. (Eds.) Anarchism and Moral Philosophy, Basingstoke: Palgrave

MacmillanBlack, B. (1992) ‘Primitive Affluence: A Postscript to Sahlins’ in Black B., Friendly Fire, New York: AutonomediaZerzan, J (1999) Elements of Refusal, Columbia, Mo.: Paleo EditionsZerzan, J. (Ed.) (2005) Against Civilization: Readings and Reflections, Los Angeles: Feral HouseZerzan, J. (2008) Twilight of the Machines, Los Angeles: Feral House

See also: http://www.primitivism.com/

4 Man and nature after Darwin

Essential reading:-

Darwin, C. (2004) The Descent of Man, London: Penguin. Pp. 675-89

Further reading:-

Mayr, E. (1993) One long argument : Charles Darwin and the genesis of modern evolutionary thought, London: Penguin Books

5 Man and nature after Marx & Engels

Essential reading:-

Marx, K. (1990) Capital, Volume One, London: Penguin. Pp. 285-6Engels, F. (1987) ‘The Part Played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to Man’ in Marx, K. & Engels, F., Complete Works, Volume 25,

London: Lawrence & Wishart

Further reading:-

Bellamy Foster, J. (2000a) Marx’s Ecology: materialism and nature, New York: Monthly Review PressBellamy Foster, J. (2000b) ‘Marx's Ecological Value Analysis’ in Monthly Review, 52 (4), http://www.monthlyreview.org/900jbf.htm,

accessed, 8/12/05Benton, T. (1996) ‘Engels and the Politics of Nature’ in Arthur, C. (Ed.) Engels Today: A Centenary Appreciation, Basingstoke: MacMillanGould, S. (1991) Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History, London: Penguin Books. Pp. 207-213Stoczkowski, W. (2002) Explaining Human Origins: Myth, Imagination, Conjecture, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

6 The unitary world, deep ecology & the pedagogical project of Freya Mathews: the Ecological Self

Essential reading:-

Mathews, F. (1991) The Ecological Self, London: Routledge. Pp. 11-13, 50-59, p.68, pp 140-141, p.145, p. 155

Further reading:-

Graves, J. (1971) The Conceptual Foundations of Contemporary Relativity Theory, Cambridge, MA: MIT PressMathews, F. (2003) For Love of Matter: A Contemporary Panpsychism, New York: State University of New York PressMathews, F. (2005) Reinhabiting Reality: Towards a Recovery of Culture , New York: State University of New York Press

7 Ecomarxism & critical ecopedagogy

Essential reading:-

Kahn, R. (2010) Critical Ecopedagogy, Ecoliteracy and Planetary Crisis, New York: Peter Lang, pp. 1-33

Further reading:-

Bullard, R. (2005) ‘Environmental Justice in the Twenty-first Century’ in Bullard, R. (Ed.) The Quest For Environmental Justice: Human Rights and the Politics of Pollution, San Francisco: Sierra Club Books

Engel-DiMauro, S. (2008) ‘Beyond the Bowers-McLaren Debate: The Importance of Studying the Rest of Nature in Forming Alternative Curricula’, Capitalism Nature Socialism, 19 (2) 88-95

Figuera, R. (2002) ‘Teaching for Transformation: Lessons from Environmental Justice’ in Adamson, J., Evans, M., & Stein, R. (Eds.) The Environmental Justice Reader: Politics, Poetics & Pedagogy, Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona Press

Freire, P. (2004) Pedagogy of the Heart, New York: Continuum. (Esp. pp. 32-5)Gadotti, M. (2003) Pedagogy of the Earth and Culture of Sustainability, paper presented at the international conference ‘Lifelong

Citizenship Learning, Participatory democracy and Social Change’, Toronto, 17-19 October, 2003http://www.paulofreire.org/Moacir_Gadotti/Artigos/Ingles/On_Education/

Pedagogy_of_the_Earth_and_Culture_of_Sustainability_2003.pdfKahn, R. (2003a) ‘Towards Ecopedagogy: Weaving a Broad-based Pedagogy of Liberation for Animals, Nature, and the Oppressed People of

the Earth’, Animal Liberation Philosophy and Policy Journal, 1 (1), http://www.cala-online.org/Journal/Issue_1/Towards%20Ecopedagogy.htm

Kahn, R. (2003b) “Paulo Freire and Eco-Justice: Updating Pedagogy of the Oppressed for the Age of Ecological Calamity”, Freire Online, A

Journal of the Paulo Freire Institute/UCLA, 1 (1) http://www.paulofreireinstitute.org/freireonline/volume1/1kahn1.htmlKahn, R. (2005) ‘From Herbert Marcuse to the Earth Liberation Front: Considerations for Revolutionary Ecopedagogy’, Green Theory and Praxis: A Journal of Ecological Politics, 1,

http://greentheoryandpraxis.csufresno.edu/pdfs/kahn.pdfKahn, R. (2010) Critical Pedagogy, Ecoliteracy, & Planetary Crisis, New York: Peter LangMclaren, P. & Houston, D. (2005a) ‘Revolutionary Ecologies: Ecosocialism and Critical Pedagogy’ in McLaren, P. Capitalists & Conquerors: A

Critical pedagogy against Empire, Oxford: Rowman & LittlefieldMclaren, P. & Houston, D. (2005b) ‘Response to Bowers. The ‘Nature’ of Political Amnesia: A Response to C.A. ‘Chet’ Bowers’, Educational

Studies: A Journal of the American Education Studies Association, 37 (2) pp 196-206Chet Bowers?

8 Krishnamurti on education and nature

Essential reading:-

Krishnamurti, J. (1955) Education & the Significance of Life, London: Victor Gollancz Ltd. Chapter 1, pp. 9-16Krishnamurti, J. (1974) Krishnamurti on Education, New Delhi: Orient Longman, pp. 11-17

Further reading:-

De Silva, P. (2007) Explorers of inner space: the Buddha, Krishnamurti and Kierkegaard, Ratmalana: Sarvodaya Vishva LekhaKrishnamurti, J. (1963) The Life Ahead, London: Victor GollanczKrishnamurti, J. (1987) Krishnamurti to Himself: His Last Journal, London: Victor GollanczKrishnamurti, J. (1992) On Nature and the Environment London: Victor GollanczKrishnamurti, J. (2000) To Be Human, Boston MA: Shambhala Publications Inc., 2000.Krishnamurti, J. (2003) Beginnings of Learning, London: PhoenixKrishnamurti, J. (2006) The whole movement of life is learning: J. Krishnamurti's letters to his schools, Bramdean: Krishnamurti Foundation TrustMartin, R. (2003) On Krishnamurti, London : Wadsworth

9 This session will be an offsite trip to Inwoods and Brockwood Krishnamurti schools

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Bowers: ecological conservatism

Essential reading:-

Bowers, C. (2012a) Questioning the idea of the individual as an autonomous moral agent, Journal of Moral Education41 (3), pp. 301–310

Further reading:-

Bowers, C. (2001) Educating for eco-justice and community, London: University of Georgia PressBowers, C. (2003) Mindful conservatism: re-thinking the ideological and educational basis of an ecologically sustainable future, Lanham, MD : Rowman & LittlefieldBowers, C. (2012b) The Way Forward: Educational Reforms that Focus on the Cultural Commons and the Linguistic Roots of the Ecological/Cultural Crises, Eugene, OR: Eco-Justice PressBowers, C. (2013) In the Grip of the Past, Eugene, OR: Eco-Justice PressBowers, C. (2014) An Ecological and Cultural Critique of the Common Core Standards, New York: Peter Lang

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Last Child in the Woods

Essential reading:-

Louv, R. (2008) Last Child in the Woods, Saving our children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, North Carolina: Algonquin Books. Chapter 4.

Further reading:-

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

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Conclusions