Who is the ‘Guardian of the Sea’? A Narrative Practice Approach Analysis of a Short Story Book for Six to Eight Years Old on the Main Character's Environmental Identity Construction

Abstract

This project used a story book for young readers (aged 6–8) to explore environmental identity features and their potential impact upon its young readers. A variety of different units of analysis from the narrative practice approach were employed to explore: a) how the story's narrative constructs the environmental identity of the main character; b) what kind of environmental identity it promotes and c) whether reading a story can be considered a ‘proxy’ of a ‘formative’ childhood experience in relation to the environment. The analysis showed a gradual construction of the main character's environmental identity; moving from passivity and ignorance to agency and knowledge. However, the notion of agency was rather limited to an individualistic agency that can potentially empower young readers to act on a local level without helping them to see environmental issues in a wider societal context. Finally, the idea of reading an environmental story as a ‘formative’ experience is discussed in relation to the aforementioned findings and to literature relevant within sustainability education pedagogies.