Rex Walford Memorial Lecture

1. Rex Walford Memorial Lecture Teaching Controversial Issues Margaret Roberts

2. Teaching controversial issues • What is a controversial issue? • Why study controversial issues in geography? • What is the role of the teacher? • What classroom activities can be used?

3. What is a controversial issue? A controversial issue is a matter about which individuals and groups disagree.

4. What makes an issue controversial? 1 Insufficient evidence • Plate tectonics – issue resolved by evidence • Evolution – issue resolved, for most, by evidence • Science of global warming – scientific consensus • KEY POINT: scientific knowledge generated through speculation, debate, but issues are resolved when sufficient evidence – although always open to new evidence.

5. What makes an issue controversial?2 Different values/ideologies • NIMBYism: Higger Tor wind farm (hypothetical) • Conflict of values: economic/social/environment, e.g. Hinkley Point nuclear power • Conflict of ideologies: market forces versus state regulation • Uncertainty and risk: climate change uncertainty of predictions and different views on acceptable risk

6. Precautionary principle When the health of humans and the environment is at stake, it may not be necessary to wait for scientific certainty to take protective action.

7. What makes an issue controversial?3 Ethical reasons • Right or wrong: e.g. Apartheid South Africa • Good or bad: buying Valentine roses from Kenya in UK

8. Is carbon trading an ethical issue? Is it an easy way out for governments, groups and individuals to continue polluting without making any changes in their behaviour?

9. Wicked problems “ The kinds of problems that planners deal with, societal problems, are inherently different from the problems that scientists … deal with. Planning problems are inherently wicked” (Rittel and Webber, 1973) Most geographical issues are wicked • Different ways of conceptualising them • Connected with a network of other issues • Their solutions have wide ranging implications

10. Ways of framing the issues of climate change • As a scientific dispute: ‘man’-made or natural? • As an environmental issue • As an issue about differential impact and social justice • As a security issue: securing essential resources • As an economic issue • In catastrophic terms

11. Who is involved in the solutions? Is it the responsibility of: • Individuals • Companies – including airlines • Governments • International agreements • Geo-engineers All must be involved which makes solution ‘messy’

12. Super-wicked problems • Time is running out • The central authority needed to address them is weak or non-existent • Those who cause the problem also seek to create a solution • Reponses are pushed into the future when immediate actions is required to set up long term policy solutions

13. Why study controversial issues?1 Geography is inherently values laden ‘To my mind, teachers do no service to their pupils if they give them the impression that such problems [development in towns, areas of unemployment, pollution] are easily defined, that the processes involved are well understood so that their occurrence can be straightforwardly explained and that there are always practicable solutions available. Issues such as the ones I have mentioned are matters of legitimate dispute precisely because there are often strong disagreements about diagnoses, goals and strategies’ Keith Joseph, 1985

14. Why study controversial issues?2 Geography shaped by decisions Examples Railway construction in UK in nineteenth century Railway construction in 21st century, e.g. HS2 GNC proposed themes all involve controversial issues KS 2 Settlement, Trade links, Energy, food, water supply KS 3 International development, Economic activity, Urbanisation, Use of natural resources KEY POINT We cannot understand geography without understanding that human processes have been influenced by debate and decision.

15. Why study controversial issues?3 to guard against indoctrination and propaganda (Lambert) Value analysis helps students identify different viewpoints on an issue and assess the evidence on which they are based and examine the underpinning values e.g. What are the economic, social, environmental arguments for and against expansion of tourism in Mauritius.

16. Why teach controversial issues?4 Students are interested in them • David Hicks (2007) ‘Lessons for the future’. • GA IPSOS Mori (2009) World Issues survey • GLEAN (2009) ‘Our world, our say’ • National Children’s Bureau (2011) ‘Children and Young People’s Views on Sustainable Living’ ‘WE ARE THE NEW GENERATION AND IT’S UP TO US TO HELP ADULTS OUT WITH ISSUES SUCH AS GLOBAL WARMING’ (12-14 year old, p. 2) ‘BECAUSE WE ARE THE FUTURE AND WE CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING IF WE START TO WORK ON IT NOW ON ISSUES SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE’ (12-14 year old, p. 3)

17. What is the role of the teacher? • Balanced • Neutral • Committed: advocating certain values • Critical

18. What is role of the teacher?A: Balanced • Information provided about opposing viewpoints, e.g. FAO information sheets about GMO, could be analysed for economic, environmental and social values • Balance about scientific aspects of climate change? • Viewpoint of IPCC • Viewpoint of Martin Durkin (Channel 4 programme)

19. What is balanced in relation to scientific aspects of global warming? • Give attention only to scientific reports and the scientific consensus • Give more attention to arguments for global warming than those against • Give equal attention to arguments for and against global warming

20. Role of the teacher Headlines from Express • SNOW CHOAS And they still claim it’s global warming • 100 REASONS WHY GLOBAL WARMING IS NATURAL Headlines from Independent • The methane time bomb • Climate change is the major challenge facing the world (Attenborough)

21. Role of teacher: B Neutral Humanities curriculum project characteristics • Students learnt through discussion rather than instruction • Evidence was provided in form of various resources ‘to avoid pooling ignorance’ • Teacher remained neutral to avoid influencing students and to encourage discussion Philosophy for children

22. Is it possible/desirable to be neutral? “If you are neutral on situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” Desmond Tutu

23. Role of teacher: committed An advocate: ‘someone who openly supports, recommends or furthers a particular cause, policy or idea” (Schlottman, 2012) Acceptable advocacy ????? Unacceptable advocacy

24. The Role of the Teacher: Committed Permissible advocacy • School behaviour policies • School bullying policies • School anti-racist policies

25. Role of teacherUnacceptable advocacy • Stop genetic contamination of your food • Nuclear Power? No thanks

26. Role of teacher: committedAdvocating sustainability • Agenda 21 • Doorways to sustainability • Earth Charter (earth charter school network) • Eco-Schools

28. The Role of the Teacher: Critical Critical Thinking Critical Pedagogy Recognise political nature of issues Ask questions that challenge status quo Probe ethical issues Expose hidden meanings of data Consider underlying political and economic structures Recognize assumptions Evaluate arguments Draw conclusions Core Critical Thinking Skills Analysis Interpretation Inference Explanation Evaluation

29. Activity: Public Meeting Role PlayOn OXFAM website – needs updating Do you agree: • something needs to be done about climate change? • to an 80% cut in emissions by 2050? • providing money for poorer countries so they can pay for the damage caused by climate change? UK Brazil Canada India USA Bangladesh France Peru Spain Indonesia Japan Mauritania China Tanzania

30. Activity: Public Meeting Role PlayShould fracking be allowed in Lancashire? FOR • Cuadrilla (economic) • Local people (employment) • Government (economic and environmental) AGAINST • Economists • Local people (health, land, jobs) • Environmentalists (Earthquakes, water pollution)

31. Classroom activity: Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) Suitable for topic with two opposing viewpoints Procedure Students allocated in pairs to one viewpoint Students, in pairs, research their viewpoint Groups of four: each pair presents their viewpoint, the others take notes New groups of four: each pair presents opposing viewpoint from notes; general discussion with attempt to reach consensus in group Class discussion: key arguments and evidence for and against, underpinning values

32. Classroom activity: applying criteria Peak District National Park Authority Does the proposed project meet: • Sustainable development objectives • Social objectives • National Park and environmental objectives; • Economic objectives and • Other scheme objectives? NB Criteria could be discussed critically: which are most important? Whose interests do they serve?

33. Discussing resources

34. Classroom activity: Spider diagrams • Studying an issue through reading or watching film • Analysing key points and representing them on spider diagram

35. Mind Map: issues facing Singapore in changing world

36. Classroom activity: Scenarios Hicks, D. (2001) Citizenship for the Future: A practical classroom guide. Godalming: World Wide Fund for Nature UK.

37. Classroom activity: discussion

38. Final thoughtsMake your own professional judgements • In what ways do the themes you are teaching have controversial aspects? (lack of evidence, different viewpoints, ethical issues) • What do you think the teacher’s role should be when students are studying controversial issues? (balanced, neutral, committed, critical) • Which classroom activities would you use to help students investigate geographical issues?