Die uitbeelding van omgewingskwessies in geselekteerde tekste uit die Afrikaanse kinder- en jeugliteratuur : 'n ekokritiese perspektief

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : This thesis is about the portrayal of environmental issues in Afrikaans children's and youth literature and of the potential of these types of texts regarding environmental education. The study responds to the question:To what extent is Afrikaans children's and youth literature capable of exposing the mysteries of the natural environment and of existing environmental issues about the development of an ecological awareness in young readers and making them more sensitive towards the natural environment and human relationship with nature?It is my assumption that fictional texts have the potential to develop awareness of ecosystems and of the natural environment, and I therefore argue that children's and youth literature can be a tool in environmental education, and that it can inform learners about environmental concepts and about the interrelatedness of all things.From an ecocritical, socio-ecological perspective I reflect on what the eco-text is, and how it, as a form of art, can make sense together with ecology and the biological sciences. The chosen Afrikaans eco-texts were analysed against the background of the human-dominated geological epoch, the Anthropocene, and as this is an interdisciplinary study, I applied ecocritical theories, as well as pedagogical theories on ecoliteracy and environmental education as guidelines during the study.This is a thesis presented in the form of three articles that are prefaced by two introductory chapters and ended with a concluding chapter. The introduction outlines the context of this research study and includes a description of my personal narrative as researcher. The second chapter is a perspective on the era of human history, and chapters 3-5 are developed from the mentioned articles, of which the first two were already published and the last one was recommended for publication. The last and conclusive chapter draws together all the findings presented and identifies possibilities for further research journeys in the field.Based on the research done, I conclude that Environmental Education is as Sauvé (2002:1) stated, not merely an instrument in the solving of environmental issues, but that it is also an important dimension of basic education, focused on a sphere of interaction that forms the basis of personal and social development – a sphere of relationships with our environment and with our shared living space. Eco-texts have the potential to make young readers aware of, to educate them about and to develop a deep sense of caring for other life forms and in doing so, the socio-ecological gap can be narrowed and possibly bridged.It is my wish that this research will contribute to the acknowledgement of the pedagogical potential of the eco-text, and that it will lead to the use of these types of texts in classrooms. I infer from this research that you can reduce the socio-ecological divide and that environmentally oriented children's and youth literature can contribute to the development of young readers into what Schreuder (2002:9) called 'rooted and literate world citizens.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University