Journal Environmental Geology
Publisher Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
ISSN 0943-0105 (Print) 1432-0495 (Online)
Issue Volume 57, Number 2 / March, 2009
DOI 10.1007/s00254-008-1272-6
Author: André Francisco Pilon
The bubbles or the boiling pot? An ecosystemic approach to culture, environment and quality of life
André Francisco Pilon1
Abstract: For the diagnosis and prognosis of the problems of quality of life, a multidisciplinary ecosystemic approach encompasses four dimensions of being-in-the-world, as donors and recipients: intimate, interactive, social and biophysical. Social, cultural and environmental vulnerabilities are understood and dealt with, in different circumstances of space and time, as the conjugated effect of all dimensions of being-in-the-world, as they induce the events (deficits and assets), cope with consequences (desired or undesired) and contribute for change. Instead of fragmented and reduced representations of reality, diagnosis and prognosis of cultural, educational, environmental and health problems considers the connections (assets) and ruptures (deficits) between the different dimensions, providing a planning model to develop and evaluate research, teaching programmes, public policies and field projects. The methodology is participatory, experiential and reflexive; heuristic-hermeneutic processes unveil cultural and epistemic paradigms that orient subject-object relationships; giving people the opportunity to reflect on their own realities, engage in new experiences and find new ways to live better in a better world. The proposal is a creative model for thought and practice, providing many opportunities for discussion, debate and development of holistic projects integrating different scientific domains (social sciences, psychology, education, philosophy, etc.).
An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1532-5