C.A. Bowers

Writings on Education, Eco-Justice, and Revitalizing the Commons

Chet Bowers wrote his first book on the connections between education, cultural ways of knowing, and the ecological crisis in 1974. The title of the book was Cultural Literacy for Freedom. Since then he has written over 95 articles and 19 books that examine how language reproduces ways of thinking that were formed before there was an awareness of ecological limits, the connections between emancipatory/transformative ways of thinking and the globalization of the West’s industrial culture. In more recent years attention has been given to understanding the educational implications of eco-justice for Third World cultures, the prospects for future generations, and the need to revitalize the world’s diverse cultural commons as sites of resistance to economic globalization and further environmental degradation. This latter phase of writing has led to a series of essays that examine the ideas of John Dewey, Paulo Freire, E. O. Wilson, and Richard Rorty. The essays and books presented on this website are intended to help clarify the nature of the formulaic thinking that prevents a wider recognition of how the cultural and environmental commons need to be taken into account in thinking about the reform of public schools and universities. As part of the commons the articles and other materials may be reproduced without charge.

Email address is chetbowers@earthlink.net

For articles by other writers who are addressing ecojustice/revitalization of the commons issues go to www.ecojusticeeducation.org/