Socio-educational practices of community environmental educators from territories affected by socio-environmental conflicts and socio-natural disasters in Chile: roles, ethics, and methodologies

Abstract

This article analyzes the socio-educational practices of environmental educators in Chile, residents in territories affected by socio-environmental conflicts and socio-natural disasters. It is an empirical investigation, where 19 professional environmental educators were interviewed to learn about the roles, ethical dimension and methodological components of their interventions. The results reveal the ethical and political dimensions of their actions, which combine education with environmental activism/defense and pave the way for different beliefs and sets of knowledge to interact, making it possible to engage in memory practices and anticipate the impact of disasters and conflicts. The role of educators largely consists of science communication, environmental stewardship, and resilience efforts informed by the ethic of care and interdependence. Socio-educational practices offer great opportunities to explore new society-nature connections, which can help improve the balance of the systems that support the reproduction of life.