Review Earth in Mind by David W Orr 1994 - Book Report/Review Example

? Book review Earth in Mind by David W Orr 1994 The Context The book Earth in Mind: on education, environment and the human prospect has been writtenby the renowned environmental educator David W. Orr. The author focuses on the problems of the education system in his work. The book is actually a compilation of short but informative essays. The main notion of the book centers round the fact that majority of the highly educated people of our society are disconnected from the environment and are mostly oblivious to the fact that some of their actions prove to be detrimental to it. The education system has not been able to groom them with the right perspective of mind. The author thinks that the modern human race is focused only on the consumption of resources without taking adequate precautions for ensuring the sustainability of the natural resources. The target audience of the book is the so-called “educated” class of peoples so that they are made of their wrongdoings against the environment and are able to accordingly rectify their actions. The book also appeals to the younger generation for a different reason. The youth will be able to realize the mistakes in their present education system and strive to develop their personalities in a more wholesome manner so that they do not repeat the mistakes of their previous generation. The Summary Through his book, David H.Orr conveys the idea that inadequate education with misguided objectives has produced adult individuals who have failed to present themselves as responsible members of the society. The education system which has been in practice for so many years possesses a number of shortcomings: it alienates its receptors from the practical side of life, creates a rift between human feelings and the human intellect and similarly between the practical and the theoretical aspect of life, has an overemphasis on the careers of students and the achievement of success, orients the development of the students towards their careers instead of grooming their personalities and gradually extinguishes the sense of wonder for the nature and the creative world from the receptive mind of the students. He believes that the reformed education system should have a new set of objectives formulated under a novel relationship with the environment. According to the author, presently the human civilization is faced with a crisis where individuals are found lacking in their sense of perception, their power of thinking and their value systems. Orr categorizes this state as a challenge for the education system. The process of education grooms and nurtures the character of an individual and shapes his values, thought process and aim in life. The educated adults of a society are considered to be a product of the society’s education system. Therefore, Orr claims that it is the responsibility of the education system to nurture individuals with the right frame of mind removing any inconsistencies that might be present in their characters. The author begins the book by describing the present state of education and knowledge and contrasts it with the expected scenario of an ideal education system. This establishes the ground for further debate and discussion on the topic. The shortcomings of the current education systems are discussed from the perspective of ecology and environment. The book identifies the forbearers of the modern pedagogical system who encourage their students to pursue their ambitions of an astronomical salary and a successful career instead of inculcating the basic human virtues which are essential to the survival of the human race. The author has then presented his own idea of completely reforming the education system. He advocates the expansion of the traditional methods of the system by incorporating study disciplines like agriculture and ecology, architecture and liberal arts in the methods of imparting knowledge. This represents a novel idea of resurrecting the system. The book also discusses serious issues like biophobia of the modern population and the prospective onset of a biophilia revolution. Summarizing all these discussions, the book presents certain proposals for changing the present education curriculum which would helpnurture more mature and socially responsible individuals. (Orr 2004, xi-xiv) “Earth in Mind” cannot be strictly categorized as a geographical work. However, it has elements of environmental geography and ecology related to it. The book primarily deals with the problems ailing the modern education system and the author has discussed the issues from an environmental and ecological viewpoint. The author dislikes the present process of education which has alienated students from their natural surroundings. The students are not taught to interact with their environment and develop their personalities in response to these interactions which was encouraged by the traditional methods of education. Instead, they are advised to be focused on their careers to become successful professionals in society. The book proposes some measures to reform this education system by reestablishing the connection of the students with nature. The author advocates in incorporating certain ecological disciplines in the pedagogical process so that the students might be nurtured into environment conscious individuals. In this context, the book might as well be named as With the Earth in Mind. An Analysis of the Author’s Methods There are primarily four parts to the book: (1) The Problem of Education, (2) First Principles, (3) Rethinking Education, (4) Destinations. David W. Orr begins the book with an introduction where he briefly explains his central idea. Under Part One, the author addresses the notion of education and the problems associated with the present education system. He gives his readers an impression about what an ideal education system should seek to propagate among its receptors and what the desired objectives of the systems should be. He also describes the dangers associated with this kind of an ideal education system. The author then enumerates the problems ailing the current system of education which is focused on producing professionally successful individuals who have been found wanting in their sense of responsibility towards society. Orr also gives an account of how the modern education system has turned into a type of business which generates revenues for its stakeholders similar to the other types of business. The main objective of any business venture is always to maximize the profits generating from the business activities. The objective of a system of education should always be to nurture and develop human personalities into responsible citizens of the future. On the contrary, when the system develops into a means for earning revenues, then the main objective of the entire process is lost in the background. This can also be termed as the commercialization of the education system. (Orr 2004, 5-35) In part two of the book, the author concentrates upon the main principles which are integral to the development of a complete human personality. These include the universal traits of love, intelligence, the ability of good judgment and other virtues as well. Orr has then proceeded to describe how the human interactions with the different facets of nature inculcate these qualities in a human being. This can be classified as a novel method of education where the character of an individual develops with the help of his surrounding environment. In this part of the book, the author also enumerates the process by which the individual character gradually forms its own ideas about the various aspects of practical life like its political angle, the economic considerations and so on. (Orr 2004, 36-42) Under part three, the author has explored the ways in which the current education system could be reformed and realigned. This part of the book is aptly titled “Rethinking Education”. Orr begins by evaluating the present colleges and universities that impart education in the modern world. He analyzes the objectives of these educational institutions and the courses of study offered by them. The author tries to form an idea about the ultimate aims that the various courses of education endeavor to nurture in their respective students. He delves deeper to carefully scrutinize the various disciplines of education and identifies a common set of problems that plague the different courses. The modern disciplines of education are focused only on churning out outstanding students who are well equipped to become successful professionals in their respective fields. The colleges and universities are overtly focused on building the careers of their students which would ultimately bring a good reputation for their institution also. The author states that professional careers have acquired a new connotation in the modern world and students being equipped with university degrees are eager to explore their prospect in this new arena. The present professional scenario offers a plethora of opportunities to the ambitious people for grooming their respective careers. The age-old relation of the education system with nature and the surrounding environment has been forgotten in the present scenario. As a result, the successful students groomed by the universities are devoid of a sense of awareness about the environment which actually supports the entire human civilization. As they pursue their careers and grow into renowned professionals of the day they are engaged in an increasing trend of consumption activities being oblivious to their future sustenance on this earth. Orr has identified this as the principal malady of the present education system. A system which fails to nurture a sense of responsibility for future sustenance in its receptor individuals cannot be regarded as a dependable education process. The most important aim of imparting education should be to nurture the minds of the receptors in a positive and conducive manner. However, the author points out that the present system is designing the students’ minds in a biased manner which can definitely be questioned. He has further explored the possibilities of including certain disciplines of study like agriculture, architecture and liberal arts in the process of imparting education. These fields of study have their own respective unique teachings which if included would enrich the present pedagogical process. (Orr 2004, 80-93; 99-121) Finally, in part four of the book, Orr has given his readers an idea about the expected destination of the present education system and juxtaposes it alongside the desired objective of an ideal education process. The author predicts that the global population is soon going to witness a biophilia revolution. He visions the human race becoming slaves to the technological gadgets which have become such an important part of our lives. Men have become so accustomed to leading their lives in the closed space of their homes and workplace being heavily dependent on the modern technical facilities that they have lost their connection with the surrounding natural environment. Such a lifestyle has become mandatory for most individuals and they do not even feel the absence of nature in their mechanical lives. They have become familiar with the concrete surroundings of their native cities which now serves as their natural habitat. In fact, some persons have also started to despise the proximity to nature. The author has given the example of the famous filmmaker Woody Allen in this case who has been known to take precautions to avoid all physical and mental contact with nature. Orr notes that most of the modern-day individuals suffer from such biophobia because they have been brought up and nurtured away from nature amidst the highly advanced technological civilization. In contrast to this, the author presents his readers with the description of a global order of civilization which values its natural environment. He enumerates the activities of such an environment conscious population and the numerous advantages that accrue to them as a result of their responsible actions. Though the present human civilization is far removed from such an ideal order, at least the readers are given an idea about what needs to be done to reform the ways and lifestyle of the present race. Then Orr enumerates of how food and products from natural environment are increasingly becoming scarce and expensive. Owing to the wayward ways of the present civilization, the natural resources are being used in an exhaustive manner. This has posed a serious question regarding the future sustenance of the global population. Some sections of the populace like the rural inhabitants of America depend heavily on their natural environment for their survival and the increasing depletion of natural resources present a serious threat to their sustenance. (Orr 2004, 131-152; 185-203) Analysis and Appraisal Earth in Mind: on education, environment and the human prospect by David H. Orr is mainly a book on the analysis of the present education system and its redressal from an ecological point of view. It does not strictly belong to the domain of environmental geography, yet it is important to the subject. The traditional methods of education used to encourage “place based education” among the human race. Under this system, individuals were encouraged to interact with their surrounding natural environment and these interactions proved to be vital in developing the individual characters. Thus, men were a product of the continuous exchanges with their environment. Orr clearly is of the opinion that individuals need to be educated in relation to their natural surroundings for them to evolve as complete human beings. Men need to be aware of their place of location and know about the characteristics of that place and its surroundings to plan their strategies for survival and sustenance. This ideal of the author is encompassed in the discipline of environmental geography which consists of the various aspects of the relationship between individuals and their environment. This discipline believes that natural resources might be present in the environment, but human beings socially construct them into usable resources with the help of various “cultural, technological and economic filters”. It is not possible for humans to establish a relationship with their respective environment without understanding the geographic, cultural and economic methods that result in an increased consumption of natural resources. This central idea of environmental geography is reflected in the writing of the author. He laments about the present education system that does not endeavor to impart the knowledge of these processes to the students. As a result, the students lead an alienated existence from the environment throughout their future lives which does not prove to be healthy for the human civilization. The book stresses the importance of the environment and natural surroundings in the life of an individual. The book is an amalgamation of short essays on the relevant topics. The first two parts consist of short chapters which are written in a brisk pace. They prove to be successful in holding onto the attention of the readers who are gradually get immersed in the book. The latter two sections of the book comprise of longer chapters which differ from the general impression of the book. The author has been successful in providing a gamut of information in certain chapters like the one on biophilia. The longest chapters of the book are the ones that provide technical knowledge. The author has used examples of individuals and actions from real life to illustrate his opinions. This has allowed his readers to relate his work to the practical field of life. In many cases, Orr has used numbered points to describe an idea. Though this might have made the section boring to read, the author was able to illustrate his perspective clearly. In all, Earth in Mind deals with environmental and ecological perspective of the problems of the present day education system. It is a novel book which has a unique theme as its central point. However, it ultimately addresses the serious issues of human survival and sustenance on the face of this earth with the help of the able writing of David H. Orr. Reference 1. Orr David, Earth in Mind: on education, environment and the human prospect Washington DC: Island Press, 1994 Read More