The role of environmental ideologies in environmental education

This study explores the impact of environmental ideologies on the environmental education programs of non-governmental organizations active in Turkey. The study group comprises six different non-governmental organizations, which are divided into two main groups according to their environmental ideologies: reformists and radicals. Data were generated from document analyses, in-depth interviews and direct, participatory observations. The research results demonstrated that the majority of the environmental education programs in Turkey are run by reformist environmental non-governmental organizations that consider the environmental issue from an anthropocentric and apolitical perspective and generally concentrate on behavior modification and awareness-raising by using standard education materials. In contrast, non-governmental organizations within the radical group adopt an ecocentric approach, and consider environmental problems to be the outcome of the growth-focused mainstream economic system. As a reflection of this view in their educational activities, they problematize capitalist globalization and demand structural and policy changes.