An investigation of green behavior, and we don't mean tree-hugging (necessarily)
by Catherine Honora Kineavy
copsychology is a combination of ecology, "the
science of the rela- tionship between organisms and their environments,"
and psychology, "the science of mental processes or behavior."
This fledgling field is attempting to heal the planet and its inhabitants
by delving deeply into core personality issues, in an attempt to understand
environmental behavior.
Our planet's ecological health is directly
related to the mental health of its inhabitants. Ecopsychologists, a group
of individuals made up of ecologists, psychologists and environmentalists,
are working to bring this concept to the public's awareness. Ecopsychologists
believe that our destructive environmental behaviors stem from our sense
of disconnection to the natural world. They contend that we have an "ecological
unconscious" that is repressed in some individuals. This ecological
unconscious is our connection to our evolution on earth. In other words,
if we recover our sense of connection to our natural world, we will begin
to be more environmentally conscious people.
One goal of ecopsychologists is to question
our notion of sanity in this growth-oriented culture. For example, it is
a well-known fact that westerners especially Americans are the world's greatest
consumers. It could be argued that we, as a culture, are addicted to consuming.
From an ecopsychological perspective, in order for consumers to curtail
their overconsumption, the motivating forces of this behavior pattern needs
to be identified in order to free individuals from this addiction. Ecopsychologists
would argue that the disconnection between self and earth is the reason
individuals do not think about the relationship between their consumer choices
and ecological destruction. Further, ecopsychologists believe that if we
heal the underlying addictive motivations, we will begin to heal the ecological
environment because individuals would cease to overconsume, thereby becoming
better "environmental citizens."
Ecopsychology follows some of the psychological
premises of Freudian psychology, except that it adds an "ecological"
dimension. For example, ecopsychologists believe in an ecological unconscious;
they also believe that individuals should develop an "ecological ego."
This ecological ego would encourage individuals to be responsible to others,
and, as in the case of ecopsychology, this would include responsibility
to our environment. Similar to Freudian psychology, according to ecopsychology,
childhood is a critical stage of development because it is then that the
ecological animism is consciously present. As adults, we begin to repress
our ecological self in response to our cultural experiences.
Although ecopsychology follows some of the
same assumptions of western psychology, it has been criticized as not being
able to be proven scientifically. Yet, how can one provide empirical evidence
for the "psyche" or "soul?" Freud's theory of the unconscious
was harshly critiqued, too. It is commonplace that new theories are plagued
with criticism. However, ecopsychological theories are not entirely new.
Many Native Americans and other indigenous peoples have been living by these
concepts throughout history. It has only been in the aftermath of the industrial,
technological and communication revolutions that we have almost lost sight
of our connections to the earth.
Ecopsychology can be considered a harbinger
of an environmental revolution. Some ecopsychologists consider that ecopsychology
is a new political wing of the environmental movement. In order to understand
"green politics" it is necessary to understand "green behavior."
Theodore Roszak, a pioneer in the ecopsychology movement, believes that
"every political movement is grounded in a vision of human nature."
Roszak critiques the political tactics of the
environmental movement and presents ecopsychology as an alternative to "scare
tactics" and "green guilt." In other words, the environmental
movement needs a psychology that will nurture understanding and compassion
for ourselves and our environment, and foster new concepts of well being
that include a connection between self and the natural world.
Allen Kanner maintains that ecopsychology "can
play an important role in averting ecocide." Ecopsychology's premise
is to determine how to initiate healthy environmental behavior. Ecopsychologists
do this by defining mental health as environmentally-based. Thus, the environmental
revolution will consist of a new political culture based on a reciprocal
respect between individuals and the natural environment.
Ecopsychology is in the process of becoming
a separate academic discipline. Ecopsychologists will act as guardians to
our new political culture as well as healers. As Laura Sewall asserts, "Ecopsychology
is providing us the opportunity to question the human dimensions of our
ecological conditions. This includes questioning who we are, what makes
for good relationships, and what constitutes misbehavior in relation to
the "other" and specifically, in relation to nature." Ecopsychology
broadens our context of health and healing. It maintains there is a synergistic
interaction between personal and planetary health.
If you are interested in learning more about
ecopsychology, I suggest Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth: Healing
the Mind, edited by Theodore Roszak, Mary E. Gomes, and Allen D. Kanner.
The University of California Hayward is home to the Ecopsychology Institute;
it has a home page on the internet. Finally, the Foundation for Global Community,
in Palo Alto, has a videotape, Ecopsychology, with an interview with
Theodore Roszak and Sarah Conn, two pioneers of the movement.
