Environmental Science -Theories & Paradigms

SVN3M

The nature of science Science: a systematic process for learning about the world and testing

our understanding of it The accumulated body of knowledge arising from the dynamic process of

observation, testing, and discovery

Civilization depends on science and technology Science tries to understand the world and steer a safe course

Science is essential to sort fact from fiction Develop solutions to the problems we face It must be accessible and understandable to the public

The Iceberg Model: Thinking in Systems

We use the Iceberg model to help us understand the nature of the problem. It helps us break it down into more manageable parts:

Events: things we see on the news or read about in the newspaper. Eg:

Patterns: if we look below the water line we will see that these events are part of a larger pattern. Eg:

The Iceberg Model: Thinking in Systems

Structures: political, economic, and social structures that create these patterns. Eg:

Paradigms: the beliefs we hold about how the world works, and these beliefs generate the structures that create the patterns of events we so often find appalling. Eg:

The Iceberg Model: Thinking in Systems

More about paradigms or mental models

Are not only assumptions about how things are, they are also a commitment to making things that way

They lead us to treat out assumptions as facts, and since they profoundly influence the results we get from our actions, they are self-reinforcing.

Example: High school start times What does the research tell us?

Do we listen to this information?

Why don’t we listen? Why should we listen? Consider: What is the purpose of

education?

Mind Grooving Time!!

Word Association: A Colour:

A piece of furniture:

A flower:

This exercise demos how strong our socialization and enculturation are: we have learned to think in particular ways and we follow those tracks. In short, we can see only what our mental models allow us to see. We need to think OUTSIDE THE BOX to solve any problems, especially contemporary environmental challenges.

Word Association #2 What is a tree that grows from an acorn? What do you call a funny story with a punch

line? What is the sound that a frog makes? What do you call the white of an egg?

We allow patterns to lull us into submission…we don’t think about our answers and sometimes that gets us into trouble especially in environmental issues.

Thumb WrestlingHow many time can you win when thumb-wrestling with a partner? When I say “Go!”, each player will try to pin the other’s thumb with his or her own.…Prizes for the most pins in 60 sec

What kind of mental model did you use? What kind did the winner use?

Environmental Perspectives (World views)

Worldview = a person’s or group’s beliefs about the meaning, purpose, operation, and essence of the world.

There are lots of them

Three ethical worldviews

Figure 2.4

Environmental Worldviews

HW Journal Entry #3 – worldview