Rediscover, Reawaken, Renew: The Potential Role of Spiritual Retreat Centres in Environmental Adult Education

Authors

  • Janet Groen University of Calgary

Keywords:

Adult Learning, Environmental Education, Spirituality and Adult Learning

Abstract

Do spiritual retreat centres have a role to play in fostering environmental awareness and action?  Using an interpretive case study methodology, this research study explored the perspectives of staff members working at two religiously based spiritual retreat centres in Western Canada to explore this question and to determine how this is translated into practice through educational programming and daily operations. The findings reveal that while place based pedagogical approaches is relied upon as an entry way into environmental adult education, there is a realization that more overt programming, focused on the environment, is required to catalyze awareness and action in their retreatants. In addition, the level of alignment between espoused environmental values and operational practices played an important role in communicating, implicitly, each retreat centre’s level of commitment to fostering environmental citizenship.

 

References

Author (2004). The experience and practice of adult educators in addressing the Spiritual dimensions of the workplace. Canadian Journal for Studies in Adult Education. 18 (1): 72-92.

Author (2009). Moving in from the fringes of the academy: Spirituality as an emerging focus in the Canadian professional faculties of business, education and social work. The Journal of Educational Thought, 43(3): 223-244.

Author, Coholic, D. & Graham, J. (Eds.) (2012). Spirituality in education and social work: Theory, practice and pedagogies. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press.

Bean, W. (2000). Community development and adult education: locating practice in its roots. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education 85: 67-76.

Berman, M. (1981). The reenchantment of the world. London: Cornell University Press.

Bibby, R. (2004). Restless gods: The renaissance of religion in Canada. Toronto: Novalis.

Clover, D. (2003). Environmental adult education: Critique and creativity in a globalizing world. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 99, 5-15.

Coates, J. (2003). Ecology and social work: Toward a new paradigm. Halifax: Fernwood Press.

English L., Fenwick T., & Parsons J. (2003). Spirituality of adult education and training. Malabar: Krieger Publishing.

English L. (2005). Historical and contemporary explorations of the social changes and spiritual directions of adult education. Teachers College Record, 107(6): 1169-1192.

English, L. (2012) For whole purposes? Examining the spirituality agenda in adult education. In Author, D. Coholic, & J. Graham, J. (Eds.) (2012). Spirituality in education and social work: Theory, practice and pedagogies. Pp. 17-33. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press.

Goralnik K., Millenbah, K., Nelson, M. & Thorp, L. (2012). An environmental pedagogy of care: emotion, relationships, and experience in higher education ethics learning. Journal of Experiential Education, 35(3), 412-428.

Gruenewald, D. (2003). The best of both worlds: a critical pedagogy of place. Educational Researcher, 32(4), 3-12.

Hill, L. & Johnston, J. (2003). Adult education and humanity’s relationship with nature reflected in language, metaphor, and spirituality: A call to action. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 99, 17- 25.

Hitzhusen, G.E. (2006). Religion and environmental education: Building on common ground. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 11, 9-25.

Hitzhusen, G.E. (2012). Going green and renewing life: Environmental education in faith communities. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 133, 35-44.

Hungerford, H. R. & Volk, T. L. (1990). Changing learner behaviour through Environmental education. Journal of Environmental Education, 21(3), 8-21.

Hunt C. & West L. (2006). Engaging with spirit: researching spirituality in adult learning. Standing Conference in University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults Conference Proceedings. Leeds, UK.

Korten, D. (2009). Agenda for a new economy: from phantom wealth to real wealth. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Lange E. (2008). Re-Enchantment to escape empire: spirituality, sustainability, critical transformative learning. Proceedings of the 27th National Conference of the Canadian Association for Studies in Adult Education Conference, University of British Columbia.

Lowen, E. & McIvor, C. (2003). The King’s Fold story: To the glory of god. Cochrane: King’s Fold Retreat and Renewal Centre.

Macy, J. & Johnstone, C. (2012). Active hope: How to face this mess we’re in without going crazy. Novato, CA: New World Library.

McFague, S. (2013). Blessed are the consumers: Climate change and the practice of restraint. Minneapolis: Fortress Press

Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

O’Sullivan, E. (1999). Transformative learning: Educational vision for the 21st century. New York: Zed Books, in association with the University of Toronto Press.

Roy, C. (2000). Raging grannies and environmental issues: Humour and creativity in educational projects. Convergence, 33 (4). 6-17.

Selman, G. (1995). Adult education in Canada: Historical essays. Toronto: Thompson Education Publishing.

Sobel, D. (1993). Children’s special places. Tuscon, AZ: Zephyr Press.

Sobel, D. (1996). Beyond ecophobia: Reclaiming the heart in nature education. Great Barrington, MA: The Orion Society and the Myrin Institute.

Tisdell, E (2003). Exploring spirituality and culture in adult and higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Taylor, C. (1991). The malaise of modernity. Toronto: House of Anansi Press.

Tough, A. (1971). The adults’ learning projects: A fresh approach to theory and practice in adult learning. Toronto, ON: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Trainer, M. (2009). The edge of the centre: celebrating naramata centre. Kelowna: Wood Lake Publishing.

Walters, P. (2009). Philosophies of adult environmental education. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(1): 3-25.

Downloads

Published

2016-01-20

How to Cite

Groen, J. (2016). Rediscover, Reawaken, Renew: The Potential Role of Spiritual Retreat Centres in Environmental Adult Education. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 28(1), 83–96. Retrieved from https://cjsae.library.dal.ca/index.php/cjsae/article/view/4798