Page 237 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

16 Educating-Within-Place: Care, Citizen Science, and EcoJustice 211

Bringing a conception of place-as-being to PBE theory through the concept of
educating-within-place is more integrative, holistic, and reflective of the phenome-
non of Being of human being, a Being fundamentally structured by care; a precondi-
tion for ecojustice. While such philosophy may seem obtuse at times, we have also
indicated moments or opportunities where NatureWatch, despite its predilection
toward the natural realm of experience, could draw too upon the ontological realm
through the support and guidance of the teacher providing educational experiences
around the discovery of the mystery of Being. Many of these capacities already exist
within students. The challenge for science teachers, educators, and researchers is to
make apparent the interpretive structure of science, and in doing so, provide other
opportunities for students to experience the more natural world in ways that de-
marginalize all epistemologies, including those of a more ontological structure.

Place-Based Education and EcoJustice

Before tackling the question, “what is the relationship between PBE and ecojus-
tice?” we need an adequate understanding of ecojustice. Ecojustice is a moral and
conceptual framework for understanding the goals of social and ecological justice.
In Mueller’s (2009) words: “Ecojustice is an emerging perspective that addresses the
confluence of social and environmental injustice, oppression for humans and nature,
and ecological degradation” (p. 1033). The aim of ecojustice is to develop an under-
standing of the tensions between cultures and the needs of the Earth’s ecosystems.
Tensions may include intergenerational knowledge and skills, beliefs and values,
expectations and narratives. The philosophy behind ecojustice is founded on the role
language plays in highlighting or downplaying particular cultural metaphors that
influence our perceptions, attitudes, understandings, and beliefs about nature and
society. Within schooling education contexts, imbedded metaphors of the dominant
discourse are implicit within curricula, the myriad theories informing pedagogical
practice and learning, even the physical character of classrooms and schools, that is,
the manner classrooms are physically structured, the division of the day into managed
increments, and so forth. These metaphors are part of the complex and intercon-
nected cultural narrative that shape the ways students frame their relationships with
other people and the Earth’s natural places, among other things.
Returning to the opening question of this section, in its present formative state,
PBE theory is remarkably similar to the aims and goals of ecojustice. The sociopo-
litically oriented works of Theobald, Bowers, and Greenwood although primarily
oriented by place-as-diversity, aim to bring about social and ecological justice, the
same goals of ecojustice. Of course, the extent of the similarity rests in the meaning
of place adopted by PBE theory. Those motivated more so by the cultural realm will
find compatibilities with the moral and conceptual framework provided by ecojus-
tice. While those motivated to provide place-based educative experience from the
natural realm will have superficial ties with ecojustice, as such, PBE experiences
strive only to relocate learners in environments outside the classroom.