Communicating environmental knowledges: young people and the risk society

Abstract

In this paper I illustrate how an increased demand for the communication of environmental knowledges in contemporary society can be understood using ideas purported by the risk society thesis. In order to deepen these connections and understandings I discuss how trust, and by association doubt, are constructed by examining the interesting, though little explored example of young people. Drawing on empirical work at a botanical garden with over 150 young people between 6 and 12 years old, I provide insights into the use and negotiation of trust and doubt in practice.

Keywords:

• risk society
• young people
• environmental education
• qualitative research
• botanical gardens

Notes

An exception to this is Burgess, Harrison and Limb's (1988) work on urban fringe woodlands.

See for a recent exception to this the special issue of Journal of Rural Studies 18(2) (2002) dedicated to young people.

Why young people used this imagined situation I am unsure. However, it may be because these young people are living a childhood filled by more powerful decision‐makers (parents, teachers, guardians) where they do not have to rely on their own expertise in their day‐to‐day lives. As a result the desert island can be seen to provide them with a place where they can imagine they would need to be self‐reliant, and draw on certain expertise to ensure survival.

Perhaps surprisingly gender was not an issue in the construction of expertise.

The television programmes mainly discussed were BBC wildlife documentaries, programmes on the Discovery Channel, The Really Wild Show and gardening programmes such as the makeover programme Ground Force. Cartoon series, such as The Wild Thornberry's, were not discussed. However, I feel it would be interesting to see whether genre had an effect on the negotiation of trust.