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Entanglements of matter and meaning: The importance of the philosophy of Karen Barad for environmental education

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2020

Shae L. Brown Open the ORCID record for Shae L. Brown [Opens in a new window] ,
Lisa Siegel Open the ORCID record for Lisa Siegel [Opens in a new window]  and
Simone M. Blom Open the ORCID record for Simone M. Blom [Opens in a new window]
Shae L. Brown*
Affiliation:
School of Education, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Lisa Siegel
Affiliation:
School of Education, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Simone M. Blom
Affiliation:
School of Education, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: shae.brown@scu.edu.au
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Abstract

The rich and innovative ideas of quantum physicist and feminist theorist Karen Barad have much to offer environmental educators in terms of practical theories for teaching and learning. This article shares insights gained from a facilitated conversation at the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) Conference Research Symposium, and offers an introduction to Barad’s theories for environmental educators. At this time of challenging planetary imperatives, environmental education is increasingly called upon to contribute to students’ understanding of connectedness, and Barad’s theory of agential realism provides a way to think about, articulate and engage with connectedness as inherent within the world rather than something we need to create. By considering entanglement as a fundamental state, we understand that separateness is not the original state of being. This shift in perspective supports a subtle yet powerful approach to knowledge, communication and collaboration, understanding difference as integral within the world’s entangled becoming. The convened conversation sought to explore Barad’s thinking by defining and discussing the concepts of agential realism, intra-action, material-discursivity, phenomena and diffraction. Barad’s ideas were used to collectively explore what it means to be intraconnected and entangled in today’s world, and specifically how these concepts and experiences relate to our work and lives as environmental educators and researchers.

Keywords

Karen Baradenvironmental educationenvironmental education researchagential realismdiffractionintra-actionphenomena
Type
Article
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 36 , Special Issue 3: Making connections: Creating relationships with nonhuman nature, place and community , November 2020 , pp. 219 - 233
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Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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