Environmental and Social Justice in EducationPerspectives from Marginalized Communities and Developing Nations

Environmental Justice

“Environmental education, strongly influenced at its inception by the environmental movement, contains the powerful insight that we all need the information and values which help us take responsibility through our actions for the one and only planet we share.”(Grass, p.2, 1996)

Students must know not only the definition of Environmental Justice, they must understand the symbiotic connection between sustainability and justice. (Bryant, p.10)

Environmental injustice occurs in all types of communities around the world and it is not isolated to urban settings.

“Environmental education must make students aware that environmental justice is broader in scope than environmental equity. EJ refers to those cultural norms and values, rules, regulations, behaviors, policies, and decisions to support sustainable communities, where people can interact with confidence that their environment is safe, nurturing, and productive.” (Bryant, 1996)

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is intimately linked to Social and Economic Justice, and as such it is supported by; decent-paying and safe jobs; access to affordable natural foods; quality schools and recreation; access to natural ecosystems in both urban and wild

spaces; affordable housing and adequate health care; democratic decision-making at local and

governmental levels; communities free of poverty, violence and

environmental pollutants. “These are communities where both cultural and

biological diversity are respected and highly revered and where distributive justice prevails” (Bryant, p.9).

Environmental Justice in US Education

There are many environmental justice and/or multicultural environmental education programs currently available, but they are predominantly small scale, regional efforts.

“In their critique of environmental education, Lewis and James (1995, p. 2) note that despite environmental education’s theoretical foundation of inclusiveness, ‘practical curricular applications exemplifying this framework are hard to find’. They argue that discussing environmental hazards without addressing their origins and the related social, economic and political forces will render environmental education programs irrelevant for those students most affected by the hazards. (Kushmerick, Young, & Stein, 2007, p.3)”

“The First and Second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summits (1991, 2002) noted that environmental justice is largely absent in environmental education and that including more environmental justice in environmental education is integral to achieving environmental equality. (Grass & Agyeman, 2002)

Grass and Agyeman (2002) found that many environmental education programs ‘reflect ecosystem based concerns, e.g. a focus on natural resources and wildlife generally without consideration of cultural or social justice issues’.

Social Justice in Ecological Education

Lack of Multicultural Perspective, current ecological and environmental programs are from a ethnocentric perspective No multi-cultural orientation to programs Lack of education on Environmental Justice in

populations most effected. Obvious need to teach chains of consumption

impacts to students. How do patterns of consumption in the US effect

the environment in marginalized communities and developing nations.

Regarding the dearth of material on environmental justice in environmental education, Running Grass stated, ‘What is commonly accepted as environmental education is distributed on the basis of race and class in a narrow range of geographic locations. Where children of color are exposed to environmental education, frequently it doesn’t reflect their cultural heritage and values’. (Grass,1995, p. 14)

Ecological Education in Tanzanian Secondary School

Mariko Frame at her School in Moa, Tanzania

Mariko with her former students, now both secondary school teachers

This Photo Speaks Volumes.

Not sure what they are, but maybe I is only profound to elementary school students.

A Picture of Inequality

Drinking water supply in the capital city

Trash fires are the only waste disposal

Multicultural Environmental

EducationA type of environmental education where content

is influenced by and taught from multiple cultural perspectives. It is a form of education that is conscious of its own cultural perspectives as well as the cultural perspective of students. As the nation's schoolrooms and communities become more diverse and begin to better value their diversity, environmental education must evolve. As it encounters new cultural realities and addresses specific community contexts, it will naturally broaden in scope and impact. (Grass 1995)

How We Can Teach Global Ecological Justice Teach environmental studies in natural spaces, both pristine and

polluted.

Take students to urban spaces in different socio-economic neighborhoods and have them explore the environmental differences.

Have students explore the environmental and social inequalities that exist between developed and developing nations.

Teach students about the realities of ecological and economic imperialism and the inequalities this perpetuates.

Have students explore the social and environmental inequalities between themselves and students of the same age in marginalized communities or developing countries. Set up a relationship and communication with a school in an area

effected by environmental and social inequality.

Encourage students to engage in environmental activism. Participate as a class in activism. “Alliances between youth and adults, and

schools and community organizations, can lead to mutually beneficial learning experiences and promote links between environmental activism and community service. “ (Habib, 1996, p.13)

“Young environmental activists can knowledgeably contribute to environmental curriculum development and program design.” (Habib, 1996, p.12)

Introduce production chains so students can begin to look at the global environmental impact of their regular patterns of consumption.

Teach multi-cultural environmental studies including multi-cultural environmental history.

Orient lessons so they help develop complex systems thinking, cultivate compassion, and understanding of individual interdependence with natural ecosystems.

Use current research on methods of teaching ecoliteracy and developing ecological intelligence.

Bibliography

Bryant, B. (1996). Instrumental values of destruction: The need for environmental education. Race, poverty & the Environment, Winter/Spring, 8-10.

Goleman, D., Bennet, L., & Barlow, Z. (2012). Ecoliterate: how educators are cultivating emotional, social, and ecological intelligence. San Francisco, CA: Jossy-Bass.

Grass, R., (1996). The four streams of multicultural environmental education. Race, Poverty & the Envrionment, Winter/spring, 1-2.

Grass, R., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Reorienting environmental education for environmental justice. The Summit II Resource Paper Series , Oct(23), 1-9.

Grass, R. (1995) Environmental education for environmental justice, Journal of Multicultural Environmental Education, 2(1), 4–27.

Habib, D. L. (1996). Youth spirit rising: Urban environmental activists. Race, Poverty & the Environment, Winter/Spring, 11-13.

Kushmerick, A., Young, L., & Stein, S. (2007). Environmental justice content in mainstream us, 6-12 environmental education guides. Environmental Education Research, 13(3), 385-408.