The Culture of Denial: Why the Environmental Movement Needs a Strategy for Reforming Universities and Public Schools (Suny Series in Environmental Public Policy)

Rating:
Summary: Powerfully written focus on environment
Review: Culture of Denial is a powerful examination and critique of the state of k-20 education and how it teaches and, for all intents and purposes, promotes the destruction of the environment in which we live.

The text is daunting at times, as it highlights the metaphors and thought processes used to reinforce modernism and consumerism in our schools and places of learning. Bowers critique does not stop just with the systems of education, but he critiques particular philosophies of education that focus on liberation in education and social justice as being too limited and, as he describes them, anthropocentric-centered on human life and taking for granted, or deeming unimportant, non-human life and its importance to our physical environment. He is particularly critical of liberatory educators as he claims that they are too focused on deconstructing and rebuilding cultures, which he sees as an "all progress and change is good" mindset further promotes anthropocentrism and doesn't allow for the opportunity or perspective that there may be parts of culture that shouldn't be changed. He applies this most viciously to Freirian pedagogs who, he claims, contributing to education that relies heavily on privileged knowledges.

After much thought on Bower's text, I came to the conclusion that, while I read it as part of a graduate course, our class was most likely not his primary audience. As such, he promotes a lot of fairly brilliant ideas, however they are framed in such a way as to touch those who are truly already involved or committed to environmental issues to the same degree and with similar philosophies as his - thus he uses his own taken for granted knowledge on his readers and, for me, there was a strong feel that those reading his book shared many of his sentiments.

Regardless of the areas I found myself disagreeing or shaking my head, Bowers puts out a call for reexamination of the educational processes across educational systems, and an examination of other less commodification-focused cultures for ideas of sustainability that can be worked into or used to remake our own culture. What is very clear is that we, as a culture, are on a path towards self-destruction and when we do implode, it won't just be the US or human life, we will take a lot of non-human life with us. His call to change makes sense, is critically thought out, and well versed for his particular audience.