Gut bacteria, viruses, microbes, sand and soil…in this episode, we acknowledge how sociality and emotionality are always embedded within human-nonhuman entanglements. How can SEL be extended to recognize and nurture these entanglements? If SEL is to move from a humanist to a “posthumanist” stance, one that knocks humans off the top of the species hierarchy and aims to learn with rather than about other species, important questions must be asked. What happens when human-nonhuman relationships are embraced in a way that still positions nonhumans in service of humans? Must we feel a sense of sameness with other species to care and connect with them, or can we develop reciprocal relationships that leave room for difference?

Participants:

Melvin Chan, BSc, MA, York University

Jinan El Sabbagh, PhD, Oklahoma State University

Adishi Gupta, MA,University of British Columbia

Emma McMain, PhD, Washington State University

Tonje Molyneux, MEd, MA, University of British Columbia

Facilitator: Melvin Chan

Editor: Marc Koch

References:

Chan, M. C., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Binfet, J. (2022). Human-animal interactions and the promotion of social and emotional competencies: A scoping review. Anthrozoös, 35(5), 647-692. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2022.2042080

Taylor, A. (2016). Beyond stewardship: Common world pedagogies for the Anthropocene. Environmental Education Research, 23(10), 1448-1461. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1325452