Paradigm Shift

Posted by Justin Wages

November 8, 2006

  In The Structure of Scientific Revolution, Thomas Kuhn defined “paradigm shift” and argued that scientific advancement is not evolutionary, but rather is a “series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions”, and in those revolutions “one conceptual worldview is replaced by another”.

In 1962 his definition of paradigm was that of a worldview. For the better part of our modern history our worldview has been one of consumption and conquer of the natural world. To wrestle it, tame it then shape it into our vision of perfection. A garden if you will. In the last few decades more and more people have started to question this paradigm. More specifically, how such worldviews are effecting our environment, our mental and physical health, our economy, and our social systems. This pushed the use of “systems thinking” and our need to look at the big picture. In a systems thinking approach, we look at our planet as a massively complex system with a great many actors playing their part in a great cycle of which, we are a member.

This brings me to my topic, Environmental Literacy in Education. It has become very apparent that some of our school systems are taking environmental issues seriously and “Green Campuses” are springing up across the nation. Classes in sustainable lifestyles, environmental ethics, sustainable business and economics, “green” architecture, environmental law and a host of other subjects with an interdisciplinary approach that help to show us that our current worldview will not work in the long term and aims to give us the tools we need to make a change, to start a revolution, to create a paradigm shift in our friends and family, our communities, our countries and finally the world.  The Chico CSU Sustainability II Conference this last weekend was a perfect example of such efforts. Over 900 students, teachers, businesspersons, and citizens’ attended/participated in the three-day conference and the mood was one of excitement, determination and optimism. These were more than just “pep talks” on doing the right thing. This was a gathering of members from our communities who have had a paradigm shift towards sustainability and who wanted to showcase their models and projects or curriculum changes to provide evidence that their environmentally friendly ideas were indeed healthy, sustainable, and even, *GASP* economically viable, no wait; make that economically prosperous.

What does this have to do with conservation? It has everything to do with conservation and saving our precious natural spaces and the resources contained within. By making more people aware of our effects on the environment and how our worldviews directly guide our everyday actions we can facilitate understanding. Understanding is the first step on the path to caring and caring is what we need to create lasting change for places like our spectacular Sierra Nevada. In universities and K-12 programs all over California, the push for “Ecological Literacy” – David W. Orr, has begun in earnest and with tremendous success despite the time frame involved with implementing such changes. We are now teaching our children their place in the web of life (complex biotic communities) and how natural cycles work (food origins, growth, consumption, and disposal), which translates to a sense of place (their homes, neighborhoods and cities) and their role in protecting that, which sustains them in every way. In short, we teach them how to care and that is where conservation has to start, conservation of our intrinsic love of nature. Paradigm shifts will follow…