Dr. Connie Russell’s Special Issue on Humour and Environmental Education Released

Dr. Connie Russell (Professor, Faculty of Education and Lakehead University Research Chair in Environmental Education) recently co-edited, with Patrick Chandler (University of Colorado Boulder) and Justin Dillon (University College London), a Special Issue of the top-ranked journal, Environmental Education Research.

The issue focused on humour, an under-studied topic in the field. Other related fields, like climate change communication and social justice education, have begun delving into the topic and revealed the potential for humour to lower resistance to uncomfortable topics, increase engagement, raise awareness, and spark or sustain action. It is not without pitfalls, however, especially since what is found funny is subjective and may not be shared across cultures or generations.

The eleven papers in the Special Issue illustrate humour does have potential for environmental education. Hailing from eight different countries, the authors adopted an array of methodological approaches and theoretical frames and their inquiries were grounded in diverse sites of learning. Delving into humour led authors to push beyond the boundaries of their own disciplines and, for some, to form creative collaborations that took them not only into new academic fields but also outside their professions to work with cartoonists, comedians, actors, and game developers. The full issue is available here.