Identitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Town

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dc.contributor.advisorSoudien, Crainen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorAshwell, Alice Nicolaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-30T13:43:10Z
dc.date.available2014-09-30T13:43:10Z
dc.date.issued2010en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study was undertaken in response to two concerns: firstly, that the notion of nature and experiential, aesthetic ways of engaging with nature had declined markedly in environmental education research and practice in South Africa. Secondly, I was concerned that relatively few environmental education centres in Cape Town offered programmes for teenagers. I therefore decided to enquire into the value of nature-based education and awareness programmes to adolescents in Cape Town, particularly in relation to: their understanding of and sense of belonging to the natural order, and the process of identity development. The study drew on Eriksonâs (1968) theory of psycho-social development, and Archerâs (2000, 2003) critical realist theory of identity development as an embodied process of reflexivity. The phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty (1962, 1968) provided an alternative to dualistic views of the human-nature relationship. Authors who have worked with Merleau-Pontyâs theories helped me clarify my understanding of the need to retrieve nature and embodied practices in education. The study used mixed methods, integrating multiple case studies of nature-based programmes, and surveys of teenagers in Cape Town. Numerical data were displayed graphically, and narrative data were presented as quotations or compiled into poems. A matrix was developed that mapped the various nature-based programmes according to the two main concerns of the study: namely how programmes represented the human-nature relationship, and how they supported the process of youth identity development. I applied Archerâs notion of embodied reflexivity and Merleau-Pontyâs ideas of inter-subjectivity methodologically, undertaking a series of short hikes during which I reflected upon the literature and research findings, and drew on insights from my surroundings to compile the final discussion and conclusion of this dissertation. This study demonstrated that assumptions that teenagers in Cape Town are generally alienated from nature are unfounded; in fact the great majority of youth from all socio-economic groups related positively to nature. It found that nature provides teenagers with a positive context in which to reflexively develop their identities. The conservation community could do much to support adolescents but many education officers felt ill equipped to engage with the senior science curriculum. A variety of alternative approaches to working with youth are therefore suggested.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationAshwell, A. N. (2010). <i>Identitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Town</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7813en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationAshwell, Alice Nicola. <i>"Identitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Town."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7813en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationAshwell, A. 2010. Identitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Town. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Ashwell, Alice Nicola AB - This study was undertaken in response to two concerns: firstly, that the notion of nature and experiential, aesthetic ways of engaging with nature had declined markedly in environmental education research and practice in South Africa. Secondly, I was concerned that relatively few environmental education centres in Cape Town offered programmes for teenagers. I therefore decided to enquire into the value of nature-based education and awareness programmes to adolescents in Cape Town, particularly in relation to: their understanding of and sense of belonging to the natural order, and the process of identity development. The study drew on Erikson&amp;amp;amp;acirc;s (1968) theory of psycho-social development, and Archer&amp;amp;amp;acirc;s (2000, 2003) critical realist theory of identity development as an embodied process of reflexivity. The phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty (1962, 1968) provided an alternative to dualistic views of the human-nature relationship. Authors who have worked with Merleau-Ponty&amp;amp;amp;acirc;s theories helped me clarify my understanding of the need to retrieve nature and embodied practices in education. The study used mixed methods, integrating multiple case studies of nature-based programmes, and surveys of teenagers in Cape Town. Numerical data were displayed graphically, and narrative data were presented as quotations or compiled into poems. A matrix was developed that mapped the various nature-based programmes according to the two main concerns of the study: namely how programmes represented the human-nature relationship, and how they supported the process of youth identity development. I applied Archer&amp;amp;amp;acirc;s notion of embodied reflexivity and Merleau-Ponty&amp;amp;amp;acirc;s ideas of inter-subjectivity methodologically, undertaking a series of short hikes during which I reflected upon the literature and research findings, and drew on insights from my surroundings to compile the final discussion and conclusion of this dissertation. This study demonstrated that assumptions that teenagers in Cape Town are generally alienated from nature are unfounded; in fact the great majority of youth from all socio-economic groups related positively to nature. It found that nature provides teenagers with a positive context in which to reflexively develop their identities. The conservation community could do much to support adolescents but many education officers felt ill equipped to engage with the senior science curriculum. A variety of alternative approaches to working with youth are therefore suggested. DA - 2010 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2010 T1 - Identitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Town TI - Identitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Town UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7813 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/7813
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationAshwell AN. Identitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Town. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 2010 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7813en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentSchool of Educationen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.titleIdentitiy and Belonging: Urban Nature and adolescent development in the City of Cape Townen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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