Environmental citizenship: What can political theory contribute to environmental education practice?

Abstract

Environmental citizenship is a concept that captures one's imagination and adds credibility to the sustainability imperative. While environmental citizenship has been theorized at length, it is still unclear what such citizenship actually looks like in practice or by which methods it can be cultivated. Drawing form the literature in green political theory, this critical essay attempts to identify how we might create environmental education programs and approaches whose goal is to promote environmental citizenship. The essay argues for an environmental citizenship conceived along the civic republican tradition and civic environmentalism tradition, whereby individuals participate in working collectively toward the common good. Place-based education provides a compelling educational approach that provides promise toward cultivating such citizenship.

KEYWORDS:

• civic ecology education
• environmental citizenship
• environmental education
• green political theory
• place-based education

Note

Notes

1. It should be noted here, and will be discussed further in this article, that some strands of environmental education today do not address these underlying structures either (Robottom & Hart, 1995).