Narratives of learning in a permacultural cooperative: some inspiring ideas for Science Education in the light of Freire's pedagogy

Abstract

In the last decades, agroecological and permacultural initiatives and organizations have grown. These initiatives attend to notions of food sovereignty and alternative models of agricultural production. The confluence of different actors and social initiatives through which experiences and knowledge of cultivating food are shared, and new ones are created, reveals a high educational potential. In light of impending global catastrophes such as climate change and pressing inequalities, new alternatives and diverse forms of sociability are necessary to open up possible futures for life on a damaged planet. Freirean approaches to science education must align with transdisciplinary social and political movements, and generate reflective practices and methods. This article addresses the case of an art and permaculture cooperative (APC) to analyze how communities work together to disrupt and dismantle inequities in science and education and make a more livable world. We offer a critical and contra-hegemonic pedagogical perspective on science education, one that forges new epistemic territories grounded in cooperation, art, permaculture, relationship, and diverse ecologies. The APC is the only one of its kind in Argentina. It has carried out its socio-ecological activities and interventions in ways that respect the characteristics of the natural ecosystem, agriculture and permaculture. We use narratives and case study methods to reveal how people’s subjective narratives give meaning to their experiences and learnings. The APC as a learning context has the potential to transform reality, promoting the development and strengthening of popular science education for liberation, one that honors diverse ecologies, and meaningfully addresses new socio-environmental challenges and concerns.