Page 297 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

21 River Advocacy: Valuing Complex Systems as the Groundwork for River Relationships 271

educators ought to seek reform that persuades every student to take responsibility
for what occurs in our society and nature.
Seeing the mine site and then reading subsequently about the fact that it was the way the
mine was operated … what I read about was there was a lot of cyanide discharge they used
to extract gold out of the mine waste, and that leaked out into the river so it got contami-
nated for miles and miles downstream. I remember a sign saying, “Do not drink this water
it is contaminated with heavy metals.” That’s something I remember pretty vividly. I guess
that’s what got me interested in pursuing the things I do.” (Butch, Fig. 1)
Let me explain. As suggested by Thayer-Bacon’s (2003) notions of “caring reason-
ing,” Georgia river advocates develop a heightened awareness by paying attention to
particular rivers. Consequently, these advocates demonstrate caring thoughts and
emotions originating from their relationships and they appear to reflect on a realiza-
tion of their own actions, that is, how they influence rivers, which motivate them to
take further actions. Their different views regarding their personal and collective
relationships with a river involve transactional exchanges, or pluralistic ways of
engaging with a river. Although Georgia river advocates individually connect with
rivers in unique and diverse ways, their commitment embodies the dualism between
nature and self. They lack a clear and constant position on what their “place” in nature
is – a term that characterizes the ongoing dialogue between a river advocate and a
river. By achieving dialogue, a process through which advocates achieve a connection
with rivers, advocates consider what it is to have regards for both self and the river.
Though advocates appreciate rivers, they oscillate between whether to grant a river its
“own rights” or to treat it as an object. Despite that, this oscillation dispels notions of

Fig. 1 A Georgia river advocate’s relationship with a polluted river (Butch). Visual data collected
as part of a River Advocacy study