Research Centre for Child Studies, Univ. of Minho, Braga, Portugal

Living with Consequences 2011
Environmental Ethics and Society
Faculty of Humanities Koper – Koper, Slovenia, October 14-15, 2011
Children’s literature and environmental ethics
Rui Ramos
Ana Margarida Ramos
Research Centre for Child Studies Research Centre for Child Studies
Institute of Education
Institute of Education
University of Minho, Portugal
University of Aveiro, Portugal
Introduction (1)
• Research project on "Environment and ecoliteracy in
recent literature for children“
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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
Theoretical framework (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
(21st 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) – the landscape in 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) – the landscape in 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 – 21st 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) – narrative structure
-
the initial situation
the troublemaker
the dynamics of disequilibrium
the opposing rectifying force
the final situation (compensatory)
(Larivaille, 1973)
Findings (7) – narrative structure
• “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) – narrative structure
• “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?
Living with Consequences 2011
Environmental Ethics and Society
Faculty of Humanities Koper – Koper, Slovenia, October 14-15, 2011
Children’s literature and environmental ethics
Rui Ramos
Ana Margarida Ramos
Research Centre for Child Studies Research Centre for Child Studies
Institute of Education
Institute of Education
University of Minho, Portugal
University of Aveiro, Portugal