Socio-Ecological Care as Relational Practice: A Grounded Theory of Affectionate Knowing

• In Event: Redefining Care in a Global Pandemic: Problematizing Relational Models in Socio-Ecological Systems

Abstract

Purpose: We designed this study to understand how middle school youth expressed caring for more-than-humans in a residential summer environmental STEM camp. To our dismay, program activities perpetuated the nature|culture binary—i.e., the natural world is interesting, full of wonder, fun, and separate from me. How and why did this happen? Explaining the data demanded disruptions to our Western thinking. We used Yin-Yang theory and video analysis of youths’ participation to construct a grounded theory of affectionate knowing. The purpose of this paper is to introduce this grounded theory.

Theoretical Framework: We viewed caring in a relational way. Yin-Yang theory guided our analysis because of its potential for understanding dualisms such as nature|culture without treating the dyads as fixed. Yang, from the Chinese cosmological view, embodies movement, while Yin embodies tranquility (Figure 1). Yang is associated with the masculine, action, rational, analytic, and demanding. Yin is associated with the feminine, cooperative, intuitive, synthesizing (May, 1988). The theory treats power as fluid (Liu & Harrell, 2015). We characterized human-centered actions focused on dominating nature and reductionism as Yang, while Yin emphasized ecological thinking about flora, fauna, land, and water. Affectionate knowing puts science or “matters of fact” (Yang) on par with “matters of care” (Yin) (Puig de la Bellacasa, 2017, p. 62).

Data Sources/Analysis: Participants included 30 middle school youth who were ethnically, racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse. We analyzed video recordings from small groups engaged in aquatic turtle study, insect and macroinvertebrate study, night-time science, and trail design. We interviewed youth at the end of the program and two years later. We used a holistic analysis method that combines practices from phenomenology, grounded theory, case study, and narrative research (Maietta, et al., 2018).

Results: Youth spent most time in Yang spaces. Video analysis also revealed fluidity of Yin and Yang engagement. As youth came to understand fauna in their ecosystems, they vacillated between a concern for themselves (Yang) and developing non-hierarchical connections to wildlife (Yin). Empathy moved youth out of the Yang space and into the Yin space. Human-centered actions like concern about one’s own safety and picking up animals for scientific identification prompted movement into the Yang space. Human touch prompted human connection and domination. We describe two cases—Maribel and Violet— to highlight the fluidity of the Yin and Yang spaces, the comfort of the Yang spaces, and the fleeting nature of Yin spaces.

Significance: The fleeting nature of Yin engagement is not surprising. Yin spaces were focused on others’ becoming, dissolving boundaries between the self and other. Western environmental and science education prioritizes reductionistic, objectifying, human-dominated stances (Yang), even when our intentions are to promote non-hierarchical relations. Reflection, stillness, contemplation, and quiet observation (Yin) are viewed as secondary or in-service-of humans. Yin-and-Yang theory reminds us that disharmony occurs when either Yin or Yang are out of balance. Our study has implications for the design and studies of environmental education programs that encourage socioecological care.

Authors

• Heidi Carlone, Vanderbilt University

• Dearing Blankmann, University of North Carolina - Greensboro