Interacting with relatively wild nature can promote less dominating, more relational behaviorsThis study countered the growing sentiment that any interaction with nature is better than none. To frame the study, the researchers drew key distinctions between (1) relatively wild nature or domestic nature and (2) domination oriented or relationally oriented worldviews. Relatively wild nature refers to landscapes that are relatively unmanaged, support bio-diversity, and reflect principles of self-organization. In contrast, domestic nature replaces many of these characteristics with human artifacts and evidence of human management. The domination orientation seeks to use and control the Other, often in hierarchical systems that maintain inequalities. In contrast, the relational orientation seeks to coexist and cohabitate with the Other, often in respectful, if not reciprocating relationships that minimize hierarchies and inequalities. The aim of the study was to compare how children in Hong Kong interacted with relatively wild nature and domestic nature to test the idea that interacting with more wild forms of nature can influence children’s worldviews to be less domination-oriented and more relationally oriented. They speculated that interacting with more wild forms of nature could result in a more relational orientation because the wild demands respect, requires symbiosis, and prompts appreciation, humility, and awe.
This was a mixed methods study. The researchers first observed children age 18 months to 8 years in two Hong Kong nature programs which offered experiences in both relatively wild and domestic nature landscapes. They analyzed videos of 700+ child-nature interactions with an Interaction Pattern Approach and categorized the landscape in which each interaction took place as either relatively wild or domestic. Next, they also coded each child-nature interaction pattern as domination oriented or relationally oriented. This multi-step coding of the qualitative data allowed them to use statistics to test two hypotheses: (1) that children would engage in more domination-oriented interaction patterns in domesticated nature and (2) engage in more relational interaction patterns in relatively wild nature.
Findings confirmed both hypotheses. The statistical analysis found a strong correlation between wild nature and children’s relational behavior and between domestic nature and children’s dominating behavior. In wilder nature areas, children engaged in more relational patterns. In more domesticated nature areas, children engaged in more domination-oriented interactions. By extension, one powerful way to foster a non-dominant world view is for people to interact with relatively wild landscapes.
The study breaks conceptual ground by linking physical landscapes with psychological worldviews. Findings suggest that different types of child-nature interactions encourage different types of moral, social, and environmental orientations in children. The authors hope their distinctions and Interaction Pattern Approach will help practitioners design environments and foster interactions that help children engage with nature in deeper ways. In particular, supporting children’s experiences in relatively wild landscapes can help them learn more respectful ways of interacting with other people, animals, and the natural world.
The Bottom Line