A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
Drama for climate change education (2022)

Lehtonen, A. (2022). Drama for climate change education. In M. McAvoy, & P. O'Connor (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Drama in Education (pp. 172-174). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003000914-18

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Lehtonen, Anna

Parent publication: The Routledge Companion to Drama in Education

Parent publication editors: McAvoy, Mary; O'Connor, Peter

ISBN: 978-0-367-43045-0

eISBN: 978-1-003-00091-4

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 01/04/2022

Pages range: 172-174

Number of pages in the book: 610

Publisher: Routledge

Place of Publication: Abingdon

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003000914-18

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Abstract

Climate change, as an immense, acute crisis, is a huge challenge to address in education. The reality of the crisis evokes challenging emotions and inner contradictions and can exacerbate attitudes and conflicts between people with different value-perspectives. People need support and creative spaces to help them find creative personal and collective concrete and mental solutions for these contradictions and emotional issues they experience in association with climate change. Collective and creative methods of drama are much needed for fostering social reflexivity, empathy and dialogue. In this chapter, I reflect on the potential of drama to support climate change education related to relational sustainability competencies (Wals, 2015), such as knowing, doing, being and transforming in action. I refer to my doctoral dissertation, “Drama as an interconnecting approach for climate change education”, and argue that the intensified embodied awareness and emotional engagement involved in creative collaboration and reflective dialogue, that being differently in drama, can promote a deeper understanding of interconnectedness of sustainability issues, raise critical awareness and motivate action. Through the description of one representative performance narrative, in which young people awaken to the realities of overconsumption in the middle of a hectic shopping experience, I show how performance-making methods can elevate critical reflection about change.

Keywords: climate crisis; sustainable living; environmental education; creative methods; drama methods; drama education

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2022

JUFO rating: 3