5
through which the ultimate goal is to achieve behaviouristic alterations in terms of
the individual. For decades, a great deal of effort has been given to understand environmental behaviour, and several models have been proposed in the literature (e.g.,
Roczen et al. 2014; Corral-Verdugo 2002; Gräsel 2001). Many educational efforts
have been undertaken to understand and improve the environmental behaviour of
citizens. However, such models have never been elaborated in the greater framework of Environmental Citizenship. According to Chawla and Cushing (2007,
pp. 9–10), ‘Environmental education … typically emphasise[s] private sphere environmentalism at the expense of preparing students for public action’. However,
Environmental Citizenship has the collective action as an intrinsic dimension, apart
from the personal action in a private and public sphere. This dimension of
Environmental Citizenship is often not the focus of educational efforts in the context of environmental education. Many researchers (e.g. Schild 2016; Barry 2006)
have advised that we need an educational model that can promote the type of strong
Environmental Citizenship and to move beyond an individualistic and behaviourist
approach to more deliberately integrate an Environmental Citizen’s engagement in
civic participation and collective action into environmental education practices.
EfS promotes three interconnected pillars of sustainability: environmental, social
and economic sustainability (UN 2015). In EfS, the concept of citizenship is just 1
of the 20 key themes of sustainable development, and Environmental Citizenship is
therefore not the focus in many of the approaches. In addition, there is a recorded
criticism regarding under-exploiting the social dimension and issues related to
social justice and socio-political engagement of active citizens (e.g. Du Pisani
2006). In addition, several approaches are trying to incorporate citizenship in EfS
and are attempting to find common ground between Global Citizenship Education
(GCE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) (e.g. Hoskins 2016).
Finally, CE in many curricula around the world has its own contribution and is
considered important in understanding how citizens could become politically
empowered and active and how society is governed. Kerr (2000) points out the difference between ‘passive and historical’ and ‘active and critical’ citizenship education. A useful framework to represent the dimensions of critical CE is proposed by
Johnson and Morris (2010) in which politics, social, self and praxis represent the
component elements of critical citizenship education. In addition, international
assessment studies regarding citizenship education such as ICCS (2009, 2016) gave
some cover in environmental issues. However, Environmental Citizenship is not in
the focus of these important studies (Schulz et al. 2016).
As can be seen from the above argumentation, Education for Environmental
Citizenship has never been put into the spotlight of the literature, and it has rarely
been placed at the heart of the educational efforts in the context of environmental
education, science education, citizenship education and sustainability education.
Therefore, there is a need for an education that will have Environmental Citizenship
as its prime concern and ultimate aim. Education for Environmental Citizenship
could be considered to act as this type of education.
1 Introduction to the Conceptualisation of Environmental Citizenship…
through which the ultimate goal is to achieve behaviouristic alterations in terms of
the individual. For decades, a great deal of effort has been given to understand environmental behaviour, and several models have been proposed in the literature (e.g.,
Roczen et al. 2014; Corral-Verdugo 2002; Gräsel 2001). Many educational efforts
have been undertaken to understand and improve the environmental behaviour of
citizens. However, such models have never been elaborated in the greater framework of Environmental Citizenship. According to Chawla and Cushing (2007,
pp. 9–10), ‘Environmental education … typically emphasise[s] private sphere environmentalism at the expense of preparing students for public action’. However,
Environmental Citizenship has the collective action as an intrinsic dimension, apart
from the personal action in a private and public sphere. This dimension of
Environmental Citizenship is often not the focus of educational efforts in the context of environmental education. Many researchers (e.g. Schild 2016; Barry 2006)
have advised that we need an educational model that can promote the type of strong
Environmental Citizenship and to move beyond an individualistic and behaviourist
approach to more deliberately integrate an Environmental Citizen’s engagement in
civic participation and collective action into environmental education practices.
EfS promotes three interconnected pillars of sustainability: environmental, social
and economic sustainability (UN 2015). In EfS, the concept of citizenship is just 1
of the 20 key themes of sustainable development, and Environmental Citizenship is
therefore not the focus in many of the approaches. In addition, there is a recorded
criticism regarding under-exploiting the social dimension and issues related to
social justice and socio-political engagement of active citizens (e.g. Du Pisani
2006). In addition, several approaches are trying to incorporate citizenship in EfS
and are attempting to find common ground between Global Citizenship Education
(GCE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) (e.g. Hoskins 2016).
Finally, CE in many curricula around the world has its own contribution and is
considered important in understanding how citizens could become politically
empowered and active and how society is governed. Kerr (2000) points out the difference between ‘passive and historical’ and ‘active and critical’ citizenship education. A useful framework to represent the dimensions of critical CE is proposed by
Johnson and Morris (2010) in which politics, social, self and praxis represent the
component elements of critical citizenship education. In addition, international
assessment studies regarding citizenship education such as ICCS (2009, 2016) gave
some cover in environmental issues. However, Environmental Citizenship is not in
the focus of these important studies (Schulz et al. 2016).
As can be seen from the above argumentation, Education for Environmental
Citizenship has never been put into the spotlight of the literature, and it has rarely
been placed at the heart of the educational efforts in the context of environmental
education, science education, citizenship education and sustainability education.
Therefore, there is a need for an education that will have Environmental Citizenship
as its prime concern and ultimate aim. Education for Environmental Citizenship
could be considered to act as this type of education.
1 Introduction to the Conceptualisation of Environmental Citizenship…