•  
  •  
 

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Abstract

Researchers have acknowledged the natural world as a powerful component of Wilderness Experience Programs (WEP), often serving as both a teacher and classroom (Friese, Hendee, & Kinziger, 1998; Herdman, 1994; Mitten, 2009). Yet, the human-nature relationship has not always been emphasized within adventure education (AE), and many programs (e.g., Outward Bound; OB) have focused primarily on interpersonal relationships (Hayllar, 1990; Miles, 1995; Priest, 1986). Some have argued for greater acknowledgment of the human- nature relationship in a definition of AE (Beringer, 2004; Henderson, 1999). Biophilia provides a theoretical framework for describing how people relate to the natural world, serving as a lens through which to better understand the human-nature relationship. Biophilia is “the innate tendency to affiliate with life and lifelike processes” (Wilson, 1984, p. 1), and the nine biophilic expressions (Kellert, 1997) illustrate unique ways of relating to the natural environment. Biophilia is believed to be evolutionarily ingrained and expressed across humanity, yet one’s individual pattern of biophilic expression is directly influenced by the interplay of social learning, direct experience in the natural world, and cultural context (Kellert, 1997; Shorb & Schnoeker- Shorb, 2010).

Download

Share

COinS