EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse, Democratic, and Sustainable Communities

by Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, John Lupinacci

"Authentic hope is the gift Rebecca Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci offer readers of EcoJustice Education . We learn what it means to recover the ancient arts and skills of cultivating commons, common sense, and community collaborations in our hard times." Madhu Suri Prakash, Pennsylvania State University

"EcoJustice Education should become a core part of teacher education programs across the country as it provides both the theory and examples of classroom practices essential for making the transition to a sustainable future." C. A. Bowers, author, international speaker, and retired professor

Designed for introductory social foundations or multicultural education courses, this text offers a powerful model for cultural ecological analysis and pedagogy of responsibility, providing teachers and teacher educators with the information and classroom practices they need to help develop citizens who are prepared to support and achieve diverse, democratic, and sustainable societies in an increasingly globalized world. The Companion Website for this book (www.routledge.com/textbooks/978041587...) offers a wealth of resources linked to each chapter."

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching

360 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2011

Reviews

[Matteo Mazzotta · Rating 2 out of 5]

goofy ass book

[Kat Matisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider this a must read for any teacher that is oriented towards justice, equity, and the moral good. A fantastic and thorough perspective on how environmentalism, poverty, racism and educational inequity are intertwined. Very specific and helpful tools for educators as well. I recommend this to every educator I know.

[Justin Zakoren · Rating 3 out of 5]

In EcoJustice Education, the authors rightly identify the ongoing environmental crisis with a broad cultural crisis in society. Employing a "cultural ecological analysis" (read green critical socio-linguistics), this text attempts to examine the relationship between anthropomorphic global climate change and a variety of interrelated socio-cultural "isms". Yet, after establishing the need for such an interdisciplinary treatment of environmental and social justice, the authors devote much of the book to familiar discussions of androcentrism/sexism, classism, racism, globalization/enclosure, and learning from indigenous communities, leaving critical environmental connections out in the cold; while these discussions are essential to a critical dialogue on education and environmentalism, the evidence and arguments provided by the authors fall short of their aims to comprehensively invite environmental education into the field of social justice education. In short, in EcoJustice education readers will learn broadly, if not deeply, about social justice, but walk away foggy as to the connection between the origins of traditional "isms" of Western culture and the environmental issues which now beset society.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book contains many good reports from and ideas of community building activities. While that itself is nice, the book's narrative is couched in a weird, earth-centric quasi-religious context which I simply could not swallow. Thus, caveat emptor.

[clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent introduction to ecojustice education! Well-written and accessible. Offers many resources for the reader/teacher to discover.