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Suitable for: 16+, student teachers

Learning Objectives:

• to examine a variety of attitudes towards the natural world;
• to consider different value systems that are prevalent in the world and
• to consider their own attitudes and values.

ESD&GC concepts: Values and Perceptions

You will need:

Attitudes to Nature statements
Chipko story instructions
Chipko story

In this activity students are exposed to four ‘narratives’ that reflect different attitudes towards the natural world, in particular, forest environments. The four views represent current debate and argument about the role of forests in our lives.

The first extract uses narrative to illustrate AN INDUSTRIAL VIEW of nature. This comes from Susan Griffin’s book, Women and Nature. The second extract was written by the Chipko women of India as part of their campaign to save their forests. Their view is included to explore the concept of SUSTAINABILITY. The third piece is also by Susan Griffin and anthropomorphises the voice of the trees to represent the views of the DEEP ECOLOGISTS. Finally, we report on a conversation held with a research scientist in a university to illustrate a SCIENTIFIC viewpoint.

These narratives provide metaphors for real events in the world. The application of the industrial and the scientific view of forests is evident throughout the world with re-afforestation programmes in the South using foreign species to produce crops for industry. The conflict between the industrial view and the sustainable view mirrors a wider conflict between those who see land in terms of potential commercial value and those who see local needs as a priority to be satisfied first; between those who see nature’s wealth being used to meet basic needs and those who want to privatise it for profit.

Alongside this are two types of scientific approaches: the western scientist who searches for trees with ‘superior’ characteristics to breed and develop to meet the needs of industry, and those women and men who are silviculturalists and forest managers who participate in nature’s processes by depending on the forests. The third extract represents the deep ecology view which regards nature as sacrosanct, wilderness which has a right to exist without interference.

Attitudes and Nature Statements

• Can you give each piece a heading to sum up the key attitude to nature that you think is contained within it (inductive thinking).
• What are the consequences for the planet for each of these attitudes if they are the dominant attitude? (deductive thinking).
• Which of the extracts do you think have the best ideas about living with nature?
• Why? (creative thinking)
• Which of them do you think most people in our society would agree with?

In discussing the narratives the students will be given an introduction to the debate about the different value systems that are prevalent in the world and have a chance to consider their own attitudes and values.

The Chipko Story would make a good follow up to this activity.

Chipko Story instructions