The Influence of Culture on Children's Relationships with Nature

Authors

  • Andrea Donnell
  • Robert Rinkoff

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.25.3.0062

Keywords:

children, nature, cross-cultural, relationship, connection, natural environment

Abstract

This study compared Canadian and Slovakian children’s relationshipswith naturethrough the children’sdefinitionsof, experiences in, and feelings towards nature. Fifty-two children aged 5 to 8 drew picturesof nature andtheir activities in a natural environment. They alsoparticipated in semi-structured interviewsand in a dialogue about photographs of nature.The “new sociology of childhood”and “universalism in cross-cultural psychology”framed this study.The grounded theory and content analysis revealed that culture plays a role in young children’s connections with nature. Childrenfrom both countries exhibited positive feelings towards nature, but the way they engaged with it was culturally different.

Published

2022-11-01