Abstract
The scientific community has been warning for some time about the climate emergency. However, the population does not generally perceive it as a relevant element in their daily lives. The activities carried out in the project RESCLIMA, both from the point of view of research on social representations of climate change and from the point of view of education and communication on climate change, have made apparent the need to build new educational strategies aimed at the adult and young public. This chapter presents the steps taken in this process ranging from the development of educational activities with senior target groups in socio-cultural centers to the production of a theatrical play that allows sharing in cultural and educational centers thoughts on how to tackle challenges associated with climate change. In the latter case, the play is accompanied by complementary activities, such as theater workshops, where young people can explore utopian or dystopian futures that can help them understand the complex problem of the present state of the climate emergency.
TopIntroduction
The use of theater as an educational tool, both inside and outside educational centers, is far from being new. However, in the field of Environmental Education (EE) we can say that, even if it is not completely innovative, this methodology has had relatively little application. It is not easy to explain why, but it probably has to do with the central role attributed to contents of the natural and physical sciences, and the difficulty to translate the most common EE subjects and aims to the languages of the performing arts. Nevertheless, considering the ethical, social and cultural dimensions of the current socio-environmental crisis as well as the urgency to make the general population aware of the climate emergency we are going through, we might expect more use of social communication techniques, especially dramatization, given that such techniques allow a greater emotional connection to the dimensions of the problem and the practice of “learning by doing” (Pina & Moré, 2014). Therefore, theater can not only disseminate information on the causes and consequences of this crisis to different audiences and in different educational, cultural, and social contexts but also become a tool to foster empowerment and agency in people and groups that theatrical-educational-environmental activities are aimed at.
An analysis of educational-environmental theatrical experiences shows that such initiatives are mainly aimed at school-age audiences and feature subjects that focus on conservationist contents and goals (such as the protection of species and conservation of protected areas), or that address pollution, in general, and particularly waste (with a special focus, during the last few years, on plastic). There are currently no meta-studies that might offer detailed analyses of theatrical activities linked to EE; however, it is possible to find numerous publications that report on specific initiatives and projects (Eizaguirre, 2009). Therefore, we must point out that the above statement on target audiences and subjects corresponds to a reading circumscribed to the national context of Spain and, as such, is subject to the partiality of an analysis that, although not methodical, is informed by professional knowledge of the situation of the field of EE in this context. The target audiences and subjects mentioned, though common in EE, generally have a limited impact both because they fail to include other age groups and due to their limited subject complexity, which excludes dimensions and opportunities to delve into social causes and consequences. Therefore, they are hardly useful to address climate change and foster the urgent community changes that the climate emergency requires (Meira and Pardellas, 2010, Franquesa et al., 2020).
However, due to its enormous educational potential, theater is an ideal tool, especially for the possibilities it offers to explore emotional dimensions and to propose alternative and critical readings of reality (Eizaguirre, 2009; Pina & Moré, 2014). In theater, often even before a play is performed publicly, the people involved (both actors and spectators) establish a rational and emotional dialogue with each other based on their approach to the reality being dramatized (Motos & Ferrandis, 2015). Such connection and communication can instrumentalize and combine different expressive codes (language, dance, comedy, dramaturgy, music etc.), where the “mirror effect” (seeing oneself reflected in the characters) can lead to different perceptions of reality and the way to create and recreate it.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Participatory Action Research: Methodology that involves action as an integral part of the research process itself. Its design emphasizes the involvement of research subjects as protagonists of the action as well as of the discussion that generates scientific knowledge. It seeks an awareness-raising effect –inspired by the ideas and practices of Paulo Freire, Lawrence Shenhouse or John Elliot– that causes social change in which the research subjects are the main protagonists.
Emotional Education: Process aimed at developing the emotional competencies necessary to increase personal and social well-being. The fundamental objective is to learn to discover and recognize emotions as well as to be able to regulate their impact on states of mood and social behavior. As a continuous and permanent process, it takes place in all areas of communicative interaction (family, school, work) and involves learning to relate to others, mainly through empathy.
Social-Educational Methodologies: Set of procedures related to teaching and social learning. They allow the common construction of knowledge through dialogue and cooperation. Thus, participants both teach and learn by creating situations of social change or collectively reaching their objectives, thereby fulfilling their needs.
Social Representation Theory: References a specific form of knowledge, which is recognized as common sense knowledge. From a hybrid perspective between psychology and sociology, social representations are defined as a particular form of knowledge with the role of interpreting reality and guiding people’s behaviors and communication. The way in which knowledge is generated and informs people's decision-making processes is relevant to the Climate Change issue, among others, where scientific thinking and socially consensual common thinking may clash.
Socio-Environmental Crisis: Process of change involving serious consequences and affecting society and the environment that supports it. It causes uncertainty and it is characterized by its global and multi-faceted nature, which cannot be limited to a specific geographical area. Its causes are related to human activity and its effects go beyond the ecological impact on Nature, as they affect human societies, economies, and territorial balance directly. The socio-environmental crisis involves a complex network of interrelated causes and effects, including the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and the social and community crisis.
Resilience: Human ability to maintain key functions and processes in the face of threats, strain, pressure, or aggression. When faced with new situations, people develop strategies of resistance, flexibility and transformation, and the ability to make the necessary adaptations. In its community dimension, resilience refers to the ability of a group of people with identity bonds (school, geographic, ethnic, or political) to cope with an impact that affects them as a group.
Cultural Mediator: A person (or group) who facilitates dialogue between parties, usually in conflict, enabling them to find ways to reach an understanding or find a solution to a problem. Cultural differences may be related to age, geography, politics, or education. In our case, we are interested in eco-citizen culture as opposed to consumerist culture, and in the culture of elderly people as opposed to that of younger people. Both categories must engage in dialogue and find common paths for ecological transition.
Eco-Social Transition: References the need to develop an ecological transition required by the climate and socio-environmental emergency. The impact of this transformation must take into account the potential damage it may cause in certain socioeconomic areas and, particularly, among the population, territories, and the most vulnerable sectors. Thus, it is essential to place people and the creation of decent, quality employment at the center of the transition process, thus guaranteeing the rights of all people during this stage of change towards a decarbonized world.