Children sliteratureandenvironmentalethics

Living with Consequences 2011 Environmental Ethics and Society Faculty of Humanities Koper Koper, Slovenia, October 14-15, 2011 Children sliteratureandenvironmentalethics Rui Ramos Research Centre for Child Studies Institute of Education University of Minho, Portugal Ana Margarida Ramos Research Centre for Child Studies Institute of Education University of Aveiro, Portugal

Introduction(1) Research project on "Environment and ecoliteracy in recent literature for children www.ecoliteracia.iec.uminho.pt Research Centre for Child Studies, Univ. of Minho, Braga, Portugal Aim: to identify the lines of intersection between the aesthetic and recreational dimensions of children s literature and its pedagogical possibilities, specifically concerning ecoliteracy General corpus: picture story books published in Portugal during the last decade which deal with the issue of the relationship between humans and their natural environment.

Theoretical framework (1) Language studies (discourse analysis) Children s literature Language is the primary modelling system of how children construct their understanding of the world Literary productions for children under analysis contain developmental qualities, both in terms of conceptualisation of the world and the relationships between the individual and their physical, social and cultural setting

Theoreticalframework(2) Ecoliteracy a) to be aware of the complexity of the world, recognise permanent interaction b) to adopt a particular frame of mind Accountability / living with consequences Ecological literacy ( ) includes the more demanding capacity to observe nature with insight, a merger of landscape and mindscape (Orr 1992: 86).

Corpus (1) 2005 O dia em que o mar desapareceu (The day the sea disappeared), José Fanha 2006 Risco, o peixe-aranha (Stripe, the spider-fish), Elsa Lé 2007 Alana, a bailarina da água (Alana, the ballerina of the water), Alice Cardoso 2007 A Menina do Capuchinho Vermelho no Século XXI (21 st Century Little Red Riding Hood), Luísa Ducla Soares 2007 O dia em que a mata ardeu (The day the forest burnt down), José Fanha 2007 O grande voo do pardal (The great flight of the sparrow), Lídia Jorge 2007 Planeta azul? (Blue Planet?), Isabel Magalhães

Corpus (2)

Findings (1) the landscape in narratives Nature is present almost exclusively as a backdrop and natural elements are humanised (1) Once upon a time there was a lush wood where the plants and animals lived happily and peacefully. The birds flew freely in the sky. The earth animals grew in harmony. The fish in the crystal clear lake swam close to the waterfall and admired the song of the nymphs (Alana, a Bailarina da Água Alana, the ballerina of the Water, pp. 4).

Findings(2) thelandscapein narratives Nature is conditioned / intervened by humans: it is dominated by the hand of Humankind (2) Henrique Gaspar had the most beautiful house in the surrounding area. No-one knew where he went to get them trees with sweet smelling flowers, grass as soft as a carpet, a swimming pool which reflected like a mirror. At the weekend, those who walked past would hear Thud! Thud! Thud! It was Henrique Gaspar planting in the garden. He did nothing else. As soon as the chores in the house were done, he would go straight to his garden to work (O grande voo do pardal The great flight of the sparrow, pp. 3).

Findings(3) thelandscapein narratives Nature is complex and the typically anthropocentric viewpoint is questioned (3) It is a gift for our brotherly wolves, which have been persecuted throughout centuries. The world is theirs too! (A Menina do Capuchinho Vermelho no Século XXI 21 st Century Little Red Riding Hood, pp. 24). (4) There, everything is beautiful and green, and sometimes I even call it my forest. Well, it isn t exactly mine. It s just a manner of speaking As everyone knows, Nature doesn t belong to anyone. ( ) But the freshness of the breeze, the scent of the pine needles, the song of the birds or the outline of the rocks do not belong to anyone. (O dia em que a mata ardeu The day the forest burnt down, pp. 3-5)

Findings(4) agency Clear identification of the agent (5) The blue Planet saw that the Sun and the Wind were of the same opinion: that it wasn t Nature s fault, but the fault of someone who destroyed it ( ) I think that the chemical products are to blame. They are the ones which are destroying the Earth and killing the animals and plants. ( ) Have you found out who made the wind so cranky, the Sun so violent and why I am getting redder? Everyone shouted at the same time: Pollution is to blame! Oh really?!... Exclaimed the little Planet ironically. But who actually creates pollution? The people glanced at each other sheepishly (Planeta Azul? Blue Planet?, pp. 7-25)

Findings(5) agency Absent / concealed agent (7) Alana heard a strange sound. She looked behind and saw something which startled her: a barrel had fallen over the waterfall and had started to leak oil from the side (Alana, a bailarina da água Alana, the ballerina of the water, pp.16) (8) Everything would be perfect were it not for the terrible family of the sly Bisnau birds, which are black and full of spots. They are unkempt, with feathers this way and that, and they smell because they never have a bath. They are dirty little pigs. ( ) Today I m going to tell you about the time these rascals allowed a great fire to start because of disregard and neglect... (O dia em que a mata ardeu The day the forest burnt down, pp. 18-21)

Findings(6) narrativestructure - the initial situation - the troublemaker - the dynamics of disequilibrium - the opposing rectifying force - the final situation (compensatory) (Larivaille, 1973)

Findings(7) narrativestructure feel good / consolation narratives (9) The damage had been huge. Everything had to be cleaned up really well. Removing all the rubbish and ash. Sometimes it felt that there was no hope for my forest. But Nature is strong and when the following spring arrived, there were leaves on the trees again (O dia em que a mata ardeu The day the forest burnt down, pp. 41).

Findings(8) narrativestructure feel good / consolation narratives (10) The nymphs immediately picked up jars of various colours and dived into the lake spreading vital essences which transformed the oil into crystalline water (Alana, a bailarina da água Alana, the ballerina of the water, pp. 23).

Conclusions Conclusions are analytical and not statistical They are indicative of a trend in children s literature Tendency towards positivity and the euphoria of happy endings Nature is humanised Humans do not always have to worry about the consequences of their choices Solutions come from Deus ex machina strategy Living with consequences?