BIOLOGY TEACHING IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICES AND THE ANTHROPOCENE: THE RIGHTS OF NATURE TO UNVEIL CURRICULUM

o direito da natureza para desenfurnar os currículos

Abstract

As a contested concept, the idea of Nature has its roots in an anthropocentric perspective. When it is granted rights, stemming from other worldviews, it must be redefined to shift towards biocentrism. The recognition of inherent values and the attribution of rights alter the meaning given to the subject receiving them, incorporating other knowledge systems and emotions. This theoretical essay engages in dialogues on the role of Biology teaching in addressing environmental (in)justices, focusing on the relationships between socio-environmental vulnerabilities and racial issues, which seem to be disconnected within the biology curriculum, presenting a “double fracture.” It explores the anthropocentric nature of the terms justice and Nature, where justice is predominantly understood as a matter between humans, and Nature is the field in which human activity operates, beyond objectification, reinforces the understanding of environmental justice as serving only the human species. In connection with race, coloniality, and biocentrism, the aim is to emphasize the need for other ways of thinking about environmental justice, repositioning the role of biology teaching towards education for social justice and justice for Nature.