Tender Places: Walking with moral responsibility in the time of climate change

Global ecological crisis, including, but not limited to climate change, is widely regarded as one of the greatest threats posed to human cultures, and the life-giving systems they rely on. Many communities, especially those experiencing higher levels of privilege, are failing to act on a global or local level, with the climate crisis intensifying economic, social and cultural disparities both locally and internationally.

Tender Places examines how place can provide a framework for reflexive dialogue on the moral responsibilities of settler descended peoples in the time of ecological breakdown. Working with two sites in the Northern Territory, this creative research mobilises the body in the act of physical translation of theory with/in place through walking, writing and digital photography. This research acknowledges and activates trans-local relationships through the creation and sending of postcards which document, translate and disseminate field notes to and through an international network of artist peers.

The presentation will propose walking with theory as a decolonising research methodology. The rationale for (trans)local place-based inquiry into global ecological crisis will be located within broader critical discourse on de/colonisation and climate justice. Postcards and other creative research artefacts will be shared to demonstrate the methodology in action, and the decolonising potential of reflexive and embodied engagement with place on settler identity.

Climate change, artificial intelligence, challenging opportunities for community psychology activists and practitioners

AIM This paper explores which community psychology (critical, liberation, ecofeminist, and mainstream) offers the best theoretical hypothesis on how to confront global problems, such as climate change, which will create millions of environmental migrants; the growth of artificial intelligence which threatens millions of jobs, and through social media favours political polarization.
METHOD: Critical analysis of a) liberation and critical community psychologists ‘s theories, which underline huge socioeconomic inequalities due to growth of libertarian capitalism, b) Ecofeminist theories with underline the tie between the subordination of women in society, domestic violence, the abuse of natural resources and the increase of local wars and ethnical conflicts and c) mainstream CP theories that have inspired the CP practitioner model in SCRA and in ECPA.
CONCLUSIONS: Community psychologists need to act more as Political Activists supporting organizations such as FFF (Friday For the Future) that fight climate change and promoting policies that undermine financial libertarian capitalism, and political polarization. Community practitioners, can work on solving global problems in local settings, using the multidimensional tools traditional CP have developed. For instance, we can use action research, consultation, community profiling and photovoice to diminish ethnic conflict, increase intergroup trust and integrate immigrants; participatory multidimensional organizational analysis (PMOA), and empowerment labs, to retrain workers who lose their jobs to A.I, and build inclusive communities on social media which will diminish irrational confrontational identity politics.

Measuring responses to climatic change in Australian “agri-culture”: Conceptualising sustainability under pressure

Understanding agri-‘culture’ is central to conceptualising the reactions of Australian primary producers to climate change and regenerative farming initiatives. Social norms, emotions and cognitions, as well as gendered narratives of traditional and non-traditional farming practices must be considered in understanding primary producers’ reactions to recent calls for regenerative farming practices. The responses of farming communities to climate action warrant consideration given increasing tension around climate-based issues and sustainability in agricultural contexts. The socio-political nexus of community responses to climate-oriented issues in Australia is such that farmers may be simultaneously positioned as perpetrators and victims of climate-change, creating further tension in a climate of increasing environmental anxiety. The current intensive drought cycle in rural Australia, alongside anxiety around climate change, and calls for changes to food consumption that have implications for the profitability of primary producers, means understanding the psychological responses of farmers to climate action is imperative, with implications for regional/rural communities in Australia. This study aimed to explore attitudes towards climate change in a sample of two hundred small-scale Australian primary producers. In the first phase of the study, a quantitative survey instrument exploring reactions to change, emotion states, and mindsets will be utilised. Demographic factors such as age, gender, and financial status will also be examined, alongside aspects of participants’ farming practice, including industry type, years of farming experience, and current agricultural practices. A second-phase qualitative study will then be conducted to examine the experiences, attitudes, and identities of two farming cohorts: those engaged in ‘green’ farming practices, and those who do not accept that significant climate events are occurring. Exploring structural and individual factors that influence responses to climate action, with consideration of how mindscapes and landscapes interact to produce (un)sustainable farming communities, is critical in producing ethical psychological knowledge that acknowledges context alongside individual differences.

Supporting ecological grief through the integration of compassion science and community psychology

Ecological grief—the grief experienced in response to ecological losses—is increasingly acknowledged as a psychological response to losses associated with climate change and other forms of ecological degradation. Given today's extraordinary decline in planetary health, new approaches are required that support people experiencing such grief. To date, research into ecological grief is emerging and underdeveloped.

This presentation will outline the potential for compassion science to complement community psychology approaches to support people experiencing ecological grief. For example, an understanding of compassion as a motivation that involves “a sensitivity to suffering in self and others, with a commitment to try to alleviate and prevent it” (Gilbert & Choden, 2014) emphasises the generation of courage and wisdom to face suffering and respond to threat. This orientation closely aligns with the community psychology interest in addressing injustice.
This presentation will:
1. present a rationale for the integration of compassion science with community psychology approaches to support people experiencing ecological grief, emphasising an ecological viewpoint, as well as fostering social connectedness and individual and community-level empowerment;
2. invite delegates to participate in a brief experiential compassion practice; and
3. consider future directions for the incorporation of compassion science in community psychology research and practice related to ecological grief.
The integration of compassion science with community psychology research and practice has the potential to offer an evidence- and value-based foundation to support individuals and communities experiencing ecological grief and encourage empowerment to address ecological injustices and foster sustainable futures.