In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial Flourishing
This paper begins with crises; environmental, social and democratic. And then it posits that in the midst of these crises there might be an opportunity. One that involves not so much “saving” democracy and sustaining current ways of life but shifting attentions towards potentially creating (re-creat...
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Cambridge University Press
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062625000138/type/journal_article |
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| author | Sean Blenkinsop Linda Wilhelmsson |
| author_facet | Sean Blenkinsop Linda Wilhelmsson |
| author_sort | Sean Blenkinsop |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper begins with crises; environmental, social and democratic. And then it posits that in the midst of these crises there might be an opportunity. One that involves not so much “saving” democracy and sustaining current ways of life but shifting attentions towards potentially creating (re-creating) something different. Something we are calling eco-democracy. There have long been voices, calling for a more environmentally thoughtful form of democracy. After tracing a short discussion of this history including some of the critiques we turn to an exploration of eco-democracy in environmental education. Our argument is that some forms of environmental education are already thinking in more eco-democratic ways without necessarily naming the project as such. In order to do this, we focus on five ‘seedlings’ of eco-democracy that already exist in environmental education. These seedlings allow us to do two things. First, draw connections to Wild Pedagogies and second draw out four key considerations for environmental educators if they are interested in having more eco-democratic practices: voice, consent, self-determination and kindness. The paper ends with a short speculative exploration of what might happen pedagogically if environmental education were to assume an eco-democratic orientation through honouring voice, consent, self-determination, and kindness. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e9e7876cb26143cc91336101b712130e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0814-0626 2049-775X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-e9e7876cb26143cc91336101b712130e2025-08-20T03:03:11ZengCambridge University PressAustralian Journal of Environmental Education0814-06262049-775X2025-05-014132533710.1017/aee.2025.13In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial FlourishingSean Blenkinsop0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7503-0974Linda Wilhelmsson1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3373-2641Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaDepartment of Education, Mid Sweden University Faculty of Human Science, Östersund, SwedenThis paper begins with crises; environmental, social and democratic. And then it posits that in the midst of these crises there might be an opportunity. One that involves not so much “saving” democracy and sustaining current ways of life but shifting attentions towards potentially creating (re-creating) something different. Something we are calling eco-democracy. There have long been voices, calling for a more environmentally thoughtful form of democracy. After tracing a short discussion of this history including some of the critiques we turn to an exploration of eco-democracy in environmental education. Our argument is that some forms of environmental education are already thinking in more eco-democratic ways without necessarily naming the project as such. In order to do this, we focus on five ‘seedlings’ of eco-democracy that already exist in environmental education. These seedlings allow us to do two things. First, draw connections to Wild Pedagogies and second draw out four key considerations for environmental educators if they are interested in having more eco-democratic practices: voice, consent, self-determination and kindness. The paper ends with a short speculative exploration of what might happen pedagogically if environmental education were to assume an eco-democratic orientation through honouring voice, consent, self-determination, and kindness.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062625000138/type/journal_articleConsenteco-democracyenvironmental Educationself-determinationvoiceWild pedagogies |
| spellingShingle | Sean Blenkinsop Linda Wilhelmsson In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial Flourishing Australian Journal of Environmental Education Consent eco-democracy environmental Education self-determination voice Wild pedagogies |
| title | In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial Flourishing |
| title_full | In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial Flourishing |
| title_fullStr | In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial Flourishing |
| title_full_unstemmed | In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial Flourishing |
| title_short | In Search of Eco-Democracy: Education for Mutually Beneficial Flourishing |
| title_sort | in search of eco democracy education for mutually beneficial flourishing |
| topic | Consent eco-democracy environmental Education self-determination voice Wild pedagogies |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062625000138/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT seanblenkinsop insearchofecodemocracyeducationformutuallybeneficialflourishing AT lindawilhelmsson insearchofecodemocracyeducationformutuallybeneficialflourishing |