The multi-scalar relationship between children’s self-determination and environmental justice in the United States

ABSTRACT

Self-determination aims to provide everyone the opportunity to sketch their life trajectories. Seemingly aspirational, paths are continuously influenced throughout childhood by both favourable and unfavourable factors. Natural environmental exposures have considerable impacts on development that give rise to transgenerational and community-wide consequences by influencing physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. Each interference can affect academic performance, the ability to reach one’s full potential, and ultimately generational social mobility. The ongoing relationship between early development and hindered self-determination is particularly concerning for non-white and low-income communities in the United States, where children experience disproportionately poor environmental conditions. This paper discusses the multi-scalar effects that stem from such exposures to propose environmental justice efforts as the path toward protecting self-determination. Through reviewing human rights, environmental racism, and capability considerations, the paper illustrates how decades of research have cumulated to create a progression toward equity.

KEYWORDS:

• Children’s development
• self-determination
• environmental justice
• equity
• community equity

Acknowledgement

I thank Dr. Alison Dundes Renteln and Dr. Darren Ruddell for lending their expertise throughout the development of this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).