Hello:
I am responding to Suzanne Michel's message posted to ecofem. First,
to address a couple of the ideas and questions in the message:
> and there seems to be a definite need for people
> to become connected with their local ecosystems. education with birds of
> prey are one such avenue -- it allows people to become (even notice)
> materially connected with the plight of disappearing wildlife.
I agree that direct experience with nature or other animals is
very important and may help develop a sense of place. David Orr's
books, _Ecological Literacy_ and _Earth in Mind_ are good places to start.
Nonetheless, I think it is very important that we consider the direct impacts
of the environmental educational experiences we advocate on the animals and
nature we are using so that they do not become martyrs to our own needs.
(For example, are the animals being stressed unduly by being handled? If so,
can the stress truly be justified?) Also, we need to look at the long-term
educational implications of various experiences. (For example, what does
seeing an animal in a zoo teach us? Although perhaps seeing a tiger up close
is awe-inspiring, I suspect we are also teaching children that it is okay for
nature and other animals to be controlled for our entertainment and that
other animals are merely resources or commodities.
So, I find myself continually in a conundrum. I do believe
nature experience is important but I also think such experience needs to be
problematized. (I have a couple of articles critiquing ecotourism as
experiential environmental education that explores this a bit further. If
anyone is interested in getting the citations, please email me directly.)
> BUT i will also say that educating the kids is to a point a political
> manipulation -- are the children presented with other perspectives
> (besides the biocentric one) in these classrooms? are the children able
> to understand that these sessions are political? can children be
> critically aware of the messages sent to them during these classroom
> sessions?
All education is political. Students are bombarded by
perspectives other than a biocentric one every day so I don't feel
terribly guilty about introducing AND advocating another perspective. Of
course, I alsowant students to understand the underlying ideologies of various
perspectives and I do think that it is possible to develop a critically aware
classroom.
Well, I've rambled on long enough. Looking forward to future
conversations along this line. I would LOVE to converse with anyone who
is trying to apply ecofeminist theory to their educational praxis.
Connie Russell
Curriculum Department,
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/ University of Toronto
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
