How to Save the World and Other Lessons from Children's Environmental Literature

Autor/in	Echterling, Clare
Titel	How to Save the World and Other Lessons from Children's Environmental Literature
Quelle	In: Children's Literature in Education, 47 (2016) 4, S.283-299 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Echterling, Clare)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0045-6713
DOI	10.1007/s10583-016-9290-6
Schlagwörter	Childrens Literature; Citizen Participation; Social Problems; Recycling; Picture Books; Life Style; Behavior Change; Social Differences; Economic Factors; Conservation (Environment); Justice; Political Influences; Race; Gender Differences; Decision Making; Consumer Science; Activism; Futures (of Society); Environmental Education + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? 'Children''s literature'; Kinderliteratur; 'Citizen participation; Citizens'' participation'; Bürgerbeteiligung; Social problem; Soziales Problem; Picture book; Bilderbuch; Lebensstil; Sozialer Unterschied; Ökonomischer Faktor; Conservation; Environment; Konservierung; Bewahung; Umwelt; Gerechtigkeit; Political influence; Politischer Einfluss; Rasse; Abstammung; Geschlechterkonflikt; Decision-making; Entscheidungsfindung; Aktivismus; Politischer Protest; Future; Society; Zukunft; Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik
Abstract	This article argues that most contemporary children's environmental picture books and easy readers published in the United States focus overwhelmingly on individual environmentalist acts and lifestyle changes, overlook the connections between environmental degradation and systemic social problems such as class disparities, and ultimately over-simplify environmental crisis. They typically encourage children to adopt environmentalist behaviors such as recycling that can be performed by individuals or families in the home, school, and local community, but do little to encourage civic engagement that would call into attention the intertwined ideological, economic, and political factors preventing profound environmental change. The analysis then examines several books that notably do inform readers about the larger political and economic issues and place a strong emphasis on environmental justice, a type of environmentalism deeply concerned with issues of race, class, gender, and economic inequality. Such texts are more likely to encourage an environmentalism that combines lifestyle and consumer choices with political activism. We need more books like this, as children's texts that resign environmental action almost completely to individual choices and behaviors and disassociate environmental crises from their larger constitutive contexts do little to prepare young people for the socio-environmental challenges we face now and in the future. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01