July 17 – 21, 2011
Note: This course starts on Sunday afternoon, July 17, and ends around 4 pm on Thursday, July 21.
David Key & Mary-Jayne Rust
This course is now full. To go on the waiting list please email admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
Our next course in this area, Ecopsychology: A Revolution at Home November 28 – December 2, 2011, is now open for bookings. Click here
We will begin by mapping the terrain of Ecopsychology, and its close relatives such as Deep Ecology, Transpersonal Ecology, Ecotherapy, Transpersonal Psychology and Human Ecology. Days two, three and four will be spent mostly outdoors in and around Dartington, including solo time on Dartmoor, weather permitting. On the final day we will explore whether, and how, such deep experiences within nature can inform sustainable living, and help bring about the personal, social and cultural transformations that we so urgently need.
The concept of the ecological Self is central to Ecopsychology. This term originates from the Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess, who argues that through transcending the individual ego we can reach a sense of identification with all other life and systems of life. In the industrial north we are largely brought up in a culture of individualism, which promotes the idea that humans are separate from, and superior to, the rest of nature. As a result of this cultural conditioning it can be hard to know how to participate consciously in the web of life, how to live and work systemically – how to act from an ecological sense of Self.
Through a series of carefully facilitated outdoor experiences and small group work, we will facilitate an experience of the ecological Self. This challenges the perceived boundaries between self and world, between “I” and “other”, between human and nonhuman. From this perspective, we ask what does it really mean to “reconnect with nature”, a term so often used among those aspiring to live sustainably. How might our identities change in a society that behaves as part of nature? Ultimately, this first week will bring us ‘down to earth’ and ‘back to our senses’ bringing a more earth-centred perspective to our thinking, decisions and actions. In this way we become more resilient to the changes we face and more able to participate in, and lead, change for a sustainable future.
David Key teaches on the postgraduate Ecopsychology module at the University of Strathclyde, is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter and has developed various independent research interests over the years to support his professional practice. He is the founding Director of Footprint Consulting Ltd., who provide cultural change programmes and strategic support to a wide variety of organisations and communities. Dave’s background is in outdoor education and he’s happiest in wild places – working with groups to facilitate personal and social change for sustainability. His unique programmes and engaging facilitation style have earned him an excellent reputation, in the UK and beyond.
Mary-Jayne Rust is a Jungian analyst and an art therapist. Her many years of working in the area of eating problems has informed a wider interest in the cultural roots of consumerism and the links between gender and culture, soul and the land. Alongside private practice, she lectures and teaches in a variety of settings, as well as contributing to books and journals on the subject of ecopsychology. She has worked for two green NGOs. She grew up by the sea, and living beside water remains a source of great nourishment. See www.mjrust.net
£750
All course fees include accommodation, food, field trips and all teaching sessions.
For further information about Schumacher College please see About the College
This course is now full. To go on the waiting list please email admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
Our next course in this area, Ecopsychology: A Revolution at Home November 28 – December 2, 2011, is now open for bookings. Click here
