Transcript Ethical Reflection and Moral Learning in ESD

Factors influencing the choice and
implementation of methods and
learning tools - Ethical Reflection
and Moral Learning in ESD
David Kronlid (1963-)
Dr Theology and Ethics
Department of Teacher Education, UU (www.did.uu.se)
Centre for Environment and Development Studies
(www.cemus.uu.se)
NTNU, Trondheim, Norway (www.ntnu.no)
The Institute
Projects and Publications
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Sustainable
Development – a
Matter of Gender?
(FRN 1998-2000)
Mobilities in
Technological Space
(NTNU 2003-2006)
Encounters with
Nature (VR 20052007)
Climate Capabilities
(FORMAS 2008-2010)
2007-05-22
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Ecofeminism and
Environmental Ethics: an
Analysis of Ecofeminist
Ethical Theory (ACTA)
Environmental Ethics in
Praxis: 8 Cases from
Swedish Environment and
Development History (Only
in Swedish) and
Coming chapters in several
research anthologies
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Today I would like to…
1.
Clarify the importance of ethical
theory and ethical reflection in
working with moral values in
Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD)
2007-05-22
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Factors 1.
What does ESD Require?
(SOU 2004:104)
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Many multifaceted illustrations of
economic, social and environmental
conditions and processes should be dealt
with in an integrated manner by using
interdisciplinary working methods.
Conflicting objectives and synergies
between different needs and interests
should be clarified.
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Content should have a long-term
perspective extending from the
past to the future, from the global
to the local.
 Democratic working methods
should be used so that students
can influence the design and
content of educational
programmes.
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Learning should be reality-based with
close and frequent contact with nature and
society.
Learning should focus on problem solving
and stimulate critical thinking and
readiness to act.
Both the process and the product of
education are important.
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Factors 2.
Traditions of Environmental Education in the Swedish School
Facts oriented
environmental
education
Normative
environmental
education
Education for
Sustainable
Development
Objective: that the
student will have
knowledge of
environmental crisis
based on facts.
Objective: that the
student will actively
develop
environmentally
friendly values based
on scientifically
founded arguments.
Objective: that the
student will develop
his/her abilities to
critically evaluate
different perspectives
on environment- and
development issues.
Vantage Points:
Objectivist
epistemology, the
environmental crisis is
a matter of knowledge
Vantage Points:
Constructivist
epistemology, the
environmental crisis a
matter of right values,
specific attitudes and
lifestyles are
normative.
Vantage Points: Critical
epistemology, a
complex and conflict
oriented perspective on
the environment- and
development crisis.
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What is Environmental Ethics?
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Systematic reflection on moral values, norms,
attitudes, and reactions
Ethics is not moral values, not policies, not rules of
conduct etc.
Ethics is a process, not only and foremost a product
The third dimension of environment- and
development issues (Stenmark, 2003)
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2.
3.
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Scientific dimension
Social and economic dimension
Value and/or normative dimension
Judicial dimension
What is, from a perspective of a sustainable
development (a) a rightful act, (b) a good
person, (c) a just and fair society?
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Environmental Ethics
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Social ethics
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Animal ethics
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Nature ethics
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Environmental/
sustainability
Ethics
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In the current environment- and
development moral landscape…
…the moral distances
are diminishing
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between
generations
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between places
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between species
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The moral values of
sustainable
development (Sthlm
1972, Brundtland)
Global moral values
(Fair Trade, Ethical
consumption, Global
Responsibility, etc.)
Nonanthropocentric
values (Ethical
veganism and
vegetarianism,
etc.)
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How can we deal with these
moral challenges in
school in the context of
what is expected from
ESD?
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Our immediate reactions are often
that we ought to
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… teach the students what we believe is the
correct moral values, for example, that we
should:
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Respect the elderly
Take care of our family
Be grateful for what is given to us
Do unto others what we want others do unto us
Take responsibility for future generations
Not eat meat
Eat meat
Not buy clothes that are produced in shops where the
workers are oppressed
• Limit our greenhouse gas emissions, etc.
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However, teaching values
in ESD means to trust the
power of critical and
constructive thinking and
discussions in the
classroom
Our informed reaction should be
that we ought to
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… help the students reflect on the reasons for
their own and other peoples environmental moral
values; why do we believe that certain moral
values are correct? What are the arguments? Are
the arguments reasonable?
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Respect the elderly
Take care of your family
Be grateful for what is given to you
Do unto others what you want them to do unto you
Take responsibility for future generations
Do not eat meat
Eat meat
Do not buy clothes that are produced in shops where the
workers are oppressed
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Teaching certain moral values as
the correct ones…
…is not ESD
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So my message today is that
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The teacher should act ethically,
With the help of Practical Ethical
Reflection (PER),
In order to help the students to
develop their moral capabilities, i.e.
to argue, critically assess, and cope
with moral dilemmas, and
To know when to reflect and when to
act…
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In using practical ethical
reflection
1.
2.
3.
We will provide methods needed in order
for the students to systematically and
critically reflect on one’s own and other’s
moral values
We will take the student’s moral
experiences and reactions into
consideration in doing this, thus
Establish a common personal yet not
private language in which the ethical
reflection can continue…
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practical ethical reflection
continued…
4.
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PER is case oriented
PER takes off in the student’s moral reactions
from e.g. a movie, a newspaper article, a meal,
clothes, using various didactic methods.
PER will help the students to understand the
basis for their own and other’s moral values
PER helps the students to sort their moral
values and reactions on the basis of ethical
theory
PER results in increased abilities to be engaged
in ethical conversations and decide on certain
moral issues and dilemmas
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In sum…
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PER is a teaching method that aims
to
• Respect the student’s moral outlooks
• Provide the students with systematic
ethical concepts; systematic researchbased ethical reflection
• Foster morally mature individuals; not
moral copy-cats
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I can stop here…
Questions?
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Ethical situations in School
(Leif Östman, UU, Johan Öhman, ÖU)
NORMS
Moral Reactions
Norms
ETHICAL REFLECTION
Ethical
Reflections
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MORAL REACTIONS
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Break
30 min
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So far…
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Ethical reflection vs. moral values
The value dimension of ESD is about
learning how to reflect ethically
The moral landscape is getting crowded;
temporal, spatial and species moral
distances
Teachers should be ethical rather than
moral
Case-oriented practical ethical reflection
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What is so important about ethics?
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Hypothesis 1:
• The global ecological, social, and economical
systems are breaking down…
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Hypothesis 2:
• Moral values and ideals are what drives
humankind forward…
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Hypothesis 3:
• We need ethical skills…we need future adults
who can be both critical and constructive…
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Practical Ethical Reflection
Case
“We buy,
who pays?”
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Moral
Reactions
Your moral
reactions?
Ethical
Theory
Eight aspects of
“moral
responsibility”
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Let’s watch a movie
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”We buy, who pays?”
A documentary about Western
companies producing clothes and
shoes in developing countries
Factories in India
25 min.
Pay attention to your own reactions
concerning ”responsibility”
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Spontaneous reactions?
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1. Holder of responsibility (Per
Ariansen, 1-7)
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Identify the actors in the case
Who of these actors are morally
responsible?
• Ex. work two and two or three
and three
• Appoint a secretary
• Discuss in three minutes – make a
list of actors
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2. The foundation for
responsibility?
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What are the basis
for holding the
actors morally
responsible?
Empathy,love,
care
Solidarity with
the people/
workers
The classroom
• Ex. four corner
exercise
• Pick a corner – talk
to a friend –
discussion in full
group
Human rights
principles
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Other
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3. Who can claim the actors to be
responsible?
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Who claims or who can claim the
actors to be responsible?
Are there different ”responsibilityclaimers” for different actors?
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4. The objects of responsibility?
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What or who is it that the actors are responsible
for?
• people, animals, plants, ecosystems, etc.?
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Ex. Line practice
• Stand on the line
• Talk to a friend about why you are standing at your spot
• Discussion in full class
People
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Animals
plants
ecosystems
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5. The condition of responsibility?
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What conditions are the actors
responsible for upholding or
preventing for the object of
responsibility?
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6. The area of responsibility?
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What are the
boundaries for the
responsibility?
Local
responsibility
National
responsibility
• Local-, national-,
regional-, global
boundaries?
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Different boundaries
for different actors?
Our moral embraceexcercise
• Stand in the room
Global
• dialogue
responsibility
• Full group discussion
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Regional
responsibility
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7. Responsibility actions?
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What does it mean for the actors to
take their responsibility?
Is it possible to have responsibility
without taking responsibility?
If this is so, under what
circumstances?
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8. What kind of responsibility are
we talking about?
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Judicial responsibility?
Moral responsibility?
economical responsibility?
…
…
…
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The process of ethical reflection
goes on…
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Summarise the discussion – a map of
responsibility
Revise our values after the reflection
– meta-reflection?
Get back to the case – did we miss
aspects of responsibility?
How can we use these concepts, this
reflection on other areas in ESD?
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The advantages with PER
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You need facts about the case
Concrete and contextual environmental ethical
reflection – not up in the abstract blue…
Puts the student’s moral experiences and
reactions in relation to ethical research, thus
Creates a space for respectful, yet critical ethical
dialogue , which
Contributes to the moral development of the
students
A professional attitude on the dimension of
values
PER fits mono- and various types of crossdisciplinary ESD.
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To summarize PER!
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Teachers should be ethical rather than
moral, thus helping the student to develop
skills for systematic, critical and
constructive environmental ethical
reflection, which
Stimulates critical thinking, decisionmaking, develops the ability to take a
stand in moral issues, and illuminates the
relationships between moral values and
sustainable development.
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General Summary and Conclusions
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Ethics is systematic reflection on
moral vales
“Ethical” tendencies in school:
(a) moral reactions, (b) norms,
(c) ethical reflection
Teaching ethics in ESD is a
matter of trusting critical and
constructive thinking
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Questions?
2007-05-22
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