Is the Theory of Wild Pedagogies Precisely the Utopian Philosophy the Anthropocene Needs?

Authors

  • Catherine Hempsall University of Cumbria

Abstract

This paper uses six common aspects of utopias to evaluate the theory of Wild Pedagogies. Individuals—and especially writers—generate utopian ideas in times of upheaval and change. The climate crisis has created a need for exactly this kind of radical thinking. In an education system that is designed to uphold the neoliberal consensus, the development of the theory of Wild Pedagogies challenges the domestication of current pedagogies. Wild Pedagogies attempt to privilege the planet's more-than-human presence, whose voices desperately need to be heard, by emphasizing the role of nature as co-teacher. This paper finds that the theory of Wild Pedagogies performs as an abstraction, rather than an iteration, of outdoor learning. It provides an overarching philosophical framework that challenges the status quo, and its tenets fulfill the criteria needed to achieve a utopia for the Anthropocene. Keywords: Wild Pedagogies, utopia, outdoor education, Anthropocene, education, pedagogy, wild, more-than-human

Author Biography

Catherine Hempsall, University of Cumbria

Department of Outdoor Studies, University of Cumbria, Post Graduate Student

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Published

2022-09-26

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Section

Articles