Children as eco-citizens?

Forfattere

  • Marianne Presthus Heggen Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
  • Barbara Maria Sageidet University of Stavanger
  • Goga Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
  • Liv Torunn Grindheim Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
  • Veronica Bergan The Arctic University of Norway
  • Inger Wallem Krempig The Arctic University of Norway
  • Tove Aagnes Utsi The Arctic University of Norway
  • Anne Myklebust Lynngård Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.6186

Sammendrag

Education for sustainability in early childhood tends to focus on practices and advocacy, rather than on the aims of this education. We suggest that the aim should be to consider children as being and becoming eco-citizens. This suggestion is built on an exploration of children as eco-citizens. With theories concerning child-sized citizenship we suggest a description of children and adults as being and becoming eco-citizen. We explore this through the fields of nature connection and science and children’s curiosity. We find that environmentally friendly practices as gardening and harvesting wild food show how children’s eco-citizenship is realizable. We support this additionally by references to how children’s literature, seeing how children depicted as eco-citizens can support the notion of children as eco-citizens. Through these analyses, we conclude that children should be viewed as being and becoming eco-citizens.

Forfatterbiografi

Marianne Presthus Heggen, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

Marianne Presthus Heggen is Associate Professor at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL). She is an ecologist and teaches natural science, outdoor and environmental education in early childhood teacher education. Together with her team, she has developed the course “Sustainable Development through Involvement”. Her research focus on the field of education for sustainability in early childhood. She leads the research group Education for Sustainability and Being and Becoming Eco-Citizens, at KINDknow - Kindergarten Knowledge Centre for Systemic Research on Diversity and Sustainable Futures.

Nedlastinger

Publisert

2019-11-26

Utgave

Vol 15 Nr. 4 (2019): Nordina

Seksjon

Articles

Lisens

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).