Racialized Knowledge Politics in Environmental Education Institutional Texts: A Case Study

• In Event: Racial Politics of Outdoor and Environmental Education

Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores racialized and culturally specific knowledge politics embedded in institutions promoting environmental education (EE) such as botanical gardens and wildlife refuges and in particular their education and public engagement materials. These politics show up across the institutions, but the particular focus for the scope of this paper include education materials, interpretive panels, and guiding documents for institutions. The purpose of this paper is to share the process of facilitating equity and inclusion training at such institutions that brings forth issues of embedded racialized knowledge politics within institutional texts.

Theoretical Frame: This paper is developed through a critical race theory with a focus on tools for analyzing interest convergence from Milner (2008). The work of Alim, Rickford and Ball (2016) on raciolinguistics and Jaskiran Dhillon (2017) on participatory politics inform the analytical questions developed for the collective close reading process. This framing is generative for understanding how these institutions may uphold status quo knowledge hierarchies while simultaneously pursuing approaches to equity and inclusion.

Modes of Inquiry and Data Source: This paper provides a case study of a workshop series where participants (environmental education practitioners) engaged in critical close readings of conservation institution materials to analyze power relations and knowledge politics represented in the texts. The sources of data for analysis include text featured on interpretive panels for a butterfly exhibit in a botanical garden, and the sections of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Urban Wildlife Refuge Guidelines for Excellence (2014). The texts were analyzed with questions that provoke critical thinking around language choice, multi-language parity, etc and how those things convey insight into who gets to be knowing and in what ways.

Substantiated Conclusions: This case study provides an example of integrating critical race theory concepts into practical reflective and analytical exercises for EE practitioners and EE institutions. These exercises enable critical engagement with the racialized and culturally specific knowledge politics communicated through institutional texts creating opportunities to disrupt and reimagine the status quo.

Scholarly Significance: Power dynamics around knowledge politics and participation are under addressed in mainstream environmental education (within and outside of equity and inclusion initiatives. Truillots’ (2003) concept of knowledge hierarchies “disciplining” where audience/ visitors/ learners are invited / able to participate in EE institutions fits importantly with Dhillon’s (2017) engagement with participator politics. This case study deploys the concepts onto institutional texts in a collaborative and participatory process that builds critical anti-racist and anti-colonial skills and practices in community with practitioners. This work also contributes a reflective component addressing experiences of racialized educators facilitating equity and inclusion trainings in environmental education experiencing racism and issues of interest convergence while simultaneously training practitioners on identifying and confronting it.

Author

• Tallie R Segel, Concordia University - Montreal