ChildhoodNature Significant Life Experience

• In Event: ChildhoodNature Collective: An Assemblage of the Knots and Threads in Repositioning ChildhoodNature Research

Abstract

Being in nature as a child has long been reported as an important contributor to being an advocate for the environment later in life. This presentation investigates the multiple-complexities about what people attribute their significant lived experiences to and how it has shaped their environmental choices. Significant Life Experiences (SLE), was coined in 1980 by Tom Tanner (Chawla, 1998) who inspired an avid interest in this area of research. Tanner’s ground-breaking study identified affective experiences in nature that had an impact upon people’s respect and appreciation for the environment. Following on from Tanner’s work further research has also endorsed and confirmed the power of SLE in nature. But what is it about these SLEs that have such an impact upon people’s lives? The quality of SLE have been shown to influence learning, not just in early childhood but throughout life. Chawla has noted that natural areas, family influences, organization, negative experiences, and/or education have been attributed to creating these SLE. While children are often not able to recall these experiences, they do shape lifelong learning, which clearly develops into personal adult characteristics, as is demonstrated by adults reflections upon their experiences. This presentation aims to provide a snapshot of current research and associated understandings of SLE in ChildhoodNature. Authors from this section/theme will draw on SLE reported from around the world contextualising the influence of society, people and culture on ChildhoodNature relationships and theorize on the meaning of both social disadvantages and negative environmental experiences. By developing deeper understanding of these experiences, authentic achievements in environmental education will be offered.

Authors

• Elisabeth Barratt Hacking, University of Bath

• Robert Barratt, University of Gloucestershire

• Cushing Deb, Queensland University of Technology