Searching for a "unicorn" : emotional dimensions of environmental educators
Subject
Barriers; Coping strategies; Emotional dilemmas; Environmental Education; Environmental engagement; Psychosocial studiesAbstract
As more studies highlight the unconscious dynamics of environmental education it is important to understand how those dynamics impact the educators themselves so that we may better train educators and improve the efficacy of their work. Using a psychosocial and psychoanalytic methodology I explored the unconscious emotional lives of six environmental educators. The educators first participated in a professional development workshop and then in three in-depth interviews using the Dialogic, Relational Interview method. Data was analyzed using holistic analysis. The educators' employed a variety of conscious and unconscious protective measures to manage feelings of powerlessness, anxiety, fear, doubt, and grief over loss. The educators were largely unaware of the extent to which they employed protective measures and expressed an overall discomfort with exploring the painful aspects of their work. This study is a first step in understanding how educators' unconscious emotional experiences impact how they interact with their audiences.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Volunteer environmental steward leadership : a developmental perspective on paths to engagement
Argue, Briony (2015-04-13)This case study explores the meaning making systems of a small group of volunteer environmental steward leaders. Research consists of: 1) an assessment of participants' action logic using the Maturity Assessment Profile; ... -
Itaukei (Indigenous Fijian) oral narratives on climate change building adaptability and mitigation - a case study on University of the South Pacific students from the province of Nadroga, Viti Levu
Gucake, Roko (2016-10-26)Pacific Island societies, although highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate and other environmental changes, have managed to adapt and survive for thousands of years. Embedded in the cultures of Pacific communities is ... -
Environmental perceptions among Indo-Canadian, Sri Lankan Canadian and Filipino-Canadian communities in Surrey, British Columbia
De Silva, Lisa Shiranthi (2019-09-18)The purpose of this thesis is to understand the perspectives of the environment among Indo-Canadian, Sri Lankan-Canadian and Filipino-Canadian immigrant communities who reside in Surrey, British Columbia. Environmental ...