Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations
Abstract The human relationship with nature is a topic that has been explored throughout human history. More recently, the idea of connection to nature has merged as an important transdisciplinary field of study. Despite increased scholarly attention to connection to nature, the notion of disconnect...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | People and Nature |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10451 |
| _version_ | 1797853429540847616 |
|---|---|
| author | Thomas Beery Anton Stahl Olafsson Sandra Gentin Megan Maurer Sanna Stålhammar Christian Albert Claudia Bieling Arjen Buijs Nora Fagerholm Maria Garcia‐Martin Tobias Plieninger Christopher M. Raymond |
| author_facet | Thomas Beery Anton Stahl Olafsson Sandra Gentin Megan Maurer Sanna Stålhammar Christian Albert Claudia Bieling Arjen Buijs Nora Fagerholm Maria Garcia‐Martin Tobias Plieninger Christopher M. Raymond |
| author_sort | Thomas Beery |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The human relationship with nature is a topic that has been explored throughout human history. More recently, the idea of connection to nature has merged as an important transdisciplinary field of study. Despite increased scholarly attention to connection to nature, the notion of disconnection from nature remains undertheorized and understudied. In this perspective article, we argue for a more comprehensive understanding of disconnection from nature to strengthen theories of human‐nature relationships that goes beyond individual relationships and considers social and collective factors of disconnection, including institutional, socio‐cultural and power dimensions. Drawing on case insights, we present the ‘wheel of disconnection’ to illustrate how disconnections from nature manifest across individual or societal meaning‐making processes, thereby problematizing existing research that seeks to create dualisms between human positive and negative impacts on the environment in isolation from cultural or political contexts. We do not seek to discount research or important practical efforts to foster an individual's connection to nature by elevating disconnection. Instead, we hope that creating greater awareness and understanding of disconnection will be able to guide opportunities going forward for strengthening a connection to nature along a continuum from the individual to the social. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:49:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1349a6e4a8044a36a965585178a01bc7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2575-8314 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:49:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | People and Nature |
| spelling | doaj.art-1349a6e4a8044a36a965585178a01bc72023-04-03T08:43:59ZengWileyPeople and Nature2575-83142023-04-015247048810.1002/pan3.10451Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relationsThomas Beery0Anton Stahl Olafsson1Sandra Gentin2Megan Maurer3Sanna Stålhammar4Christian Albert5Claudia Bieling6Arjen Buijs7Nora Fagerholm8Maria Garcia‐Martin9Tobias Plieninger10Christopher M. Raymond11Faculty of Natural Sciences, Sustainable Multifunctional Landscapes, Kristianstad University Kristianstad SwedenDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg DenmarkDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg DenmarkDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg DenmarkDepartment of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Lomma SwedenInstitute of Geography Ruhr University Bochum Bochum GermanySocietal Transition and Agriculture University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyWageningen Universiteit, FNP Wageningen The NetherlandsDepartment of Geography and Geology University of Turku Turku FinlandSwiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Land Change Science Unit Zürich SwitzerlandDepartment of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Georg‐August‐Universität Göttingen Gottingen GermanyHelsinki Institute for Sustainability Science University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandAbstract The human relationship with nature is a topic that has been explored throughout human history. More recently, the idea of connection to nature has merged as an important transdisciplinary field of study. Despite increased scholarly attention to connection to nature, the notion of disconnection from nature remains undertheorized and understudied. In this perspective article, we argue for a more comprehensive understanding of disconnection from nature to strengthen theories of human‐nature relationships that goes beyond individual relationships and considers social and collective factors of disconnection, including institutional, socio‐cultural and power dimensions. Drawing on case insights, we present the ‘wheel of disconnection’ to illustrate how disconnections from nature manifest across individual or societal meaning‐making processes, thereby problematizing existing research that seeks to create dualisms between human positive and negative impacts on the environment in isolation from cultural or political contexts. We do not seek to discount research or important practical efforts to foster an individual's connection to nature by elevating disconnection. Instead, we hope that creating greater awareness and understanding of disconnection will be able to guide opportunities going forward for strengthening a connection to nature along a continuum from the individual to the social. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10451connection to nature (C2N)disconnectionecosystem services and disservicesenvironmental educationmeaning‐making |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Beery Anton Stahl Olafsson Sandra Gentin Megan Maurer Sanna Stålhammar Christian Albert Claudia Bieling Arjen Buijs Nora Fagerholm Maria Garcia‐Martin Tobias Plieninger Christopher M. Raymond Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations People and Nature connection to nature (C2N) disconnection ecosystem services and disservices environmental education meaning‐making |
| title | Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations |
| title_full | Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations |
| title_fullStr | Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations |
| title_short | Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations |
| title_sort | disconnection from nature expanding our understanding of human nature relations |
| topic | connection to nature (C2N) disconnection ecosystem services and disservices environmental education meaning‐making |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10451 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thomasbeery disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT antonstahlolafsson disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT sandragentin disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT meganmaurer disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT sannastalhammar disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT christianalbert disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT claudiabieling disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT arjenbuijs disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT norafagerholm disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT mariagarciamartin disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT tobiasplieninger disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations AT christophermraymond disconnectionfromnatureexpandingourunderstandingofhumannaturerelations |