Environmental Education as a Lived-Body Practice? A Contemplative Pedagogy Perspective

Autor/inn/en	Pulkki, Jani; Dahlin, Bo; Varri, Veli-Matti
Titel	Environmental Education as a Lived-Body Practice? A Contemplative Pedagogy Perspective
Quelle	In: Journal of Philosophy of Education, 51 (2017) 1, S.214-229 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0309-8249
DOI	10.1111/1467-9752.12209
Schlagwörter	Environmental Education; Human Body; Ecology; Learning Modalities; Alienation; Physical Environment; Climate; Metacognition; Reflection + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik; Menschlicher Körper; Ökologie; Lernumgebung; Entfremdung; Natürliche Umwelt; Klima; Meta cognitive ability; Meta-cognition; Metakognitive Fähigkeit; Metakognition
Abstract	Environmental education usually appeals to the students' knowledge and rational understanding. Even though this is needed, there is a neglected aspect of learning ecologically fruitful action; that of the lived-body. This paper introduces the lived-body as an important site for learning ecological action. An argument is made for the need of a biophilia revolution, in which refined experience of the body and enhanced capabilities for sensing are seen as important ways of complementing the more common, knowledge-based environmental education. Alienation from the physical environment is seen as one key element in producing environmental devastation. Consequently, human alienation from nature is seen as closely related to alienation from one's body. It is claimed that through overcoming the (Cartesian) dualist alienation of human consciousness from its lived body, we can decrease the alienation of human beings from their environment. Methods of contemplative pedagogy are introduced for addressing alienation. By getting in touch with the tangible lived-body in yoga or mindfulness meditation we reconnect to the material world of nature. Contemplative pedagogy cultivates the body and its senses for learning intrinsic valuation and caring for the environment. Lived-body experience is challenging to conceptualise; we use Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concept of the flesh in our attempt to do so. Finally, this paper suggests some contemplative practices of the lived-body for environmental education. Experiencing the flesh of oneself and the world as one and the same is an environmentally conducive experience that gives value and meaning to the flourishing of all life, human and non-human. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01