Human-Ecological Learning, Activism, and Community Justice

When one is learning in a high school classroom about the history of a local water contamination disaster, Corey Knox examines how the environmental issue might be framed.
The aftermath of a widespread groundwater contamination resulted in severe and ongoing health issues, lawsuits, and designation as federal Superfund site of an area that housed primarily Latinx neighborhoods.
Through research, interviews and artifact analyses, contradictory narratives were found when characterizing the contamination in high school curricula. This included variations in the emphasis on community organizing, the choices, and consequences of economic and industrial development, and the importance of science and technology advancement as a solution to environmental problems.
Corey is presenting her findings at American Anthropological Association Conference this fall.
Her session is called, Science and Environmental Education in a Changing World: Human-Ecological Learning, Activism, and Community Justice.