This research project responds to the observation of radical ecologists and ecopsychologists that our present approaches to environmental change are widely limited to technological, behavioural and cognitive strategies, and lack a deep understanding of the complex psychological and sociocultural interrelationships that underpin human perception and behaviour. To gain a deepened understanding of our ecological crises from depth psychological, holistic, and transpersonal perspectives, a number of counsellors, psychotherapists, naturopaths, and one environmental educator were either interviewed or completed questionnaires that explored the meaning of the terms ‘environment’ and ‘sustainability’. They were also invited to express their views on environmental deterioration and what it means to them to live sustainably. The knowledge obtained from the research participants, an extensive literature review, and my professional experience as a psychotherapist, workshop facilitator and trainer, suggest that the current dominant theories and practices of environmental education, and other change practices, are limited in their effectiveness. The study proceeds with a discussion of key issues related to the ecological approach proposed in this study; and of emergent areas such as environmental education, education for sustainability, deep ecology and ecofeminism. A critique focuses particularly on the common assumption of conventional learning paradigms that deep change can be achieved without addressing emotional resistance to such change. By using the work of the Resilience Alliance, “a multidisciplinary research group that explores the dynamics of complex adaptive as a reference point it is argued that our need to compensate for our fragmented selves leads to significant resistances to changes in consciousness. The study concludes with a summary of the main findings and thoughts on possible sustainable and unsustainable futures. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/189324 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Sattmann-Frese, Werner, University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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