FRI302 Nature philosophy and slow friluftsliv (10 ECTS) 

Course facts

Course code
FRI302
Course title
Nature philosophy and slow friluftsliv
ECTS
10 ECTS
Course language
English
Semester
Fall
Academic responsible
Kristian Abelsen

Introduction

The course will address humans’ relationships with nature and the significance of nature experience in Norwegian outdoor life—namely, friluftsliv. Drawing from historical and philosophical perspectives and discussions on nature, friluftsliv, and the relationship between humans, nature and society, the course will present so-called ‘slow friluftsliv’ as a concept, pedagogical method and philosophy of nature. In the course’s sessions, students will explore sensations and first-hand experiences in nature, as well as consider the value of encountering nature, from both a personal and educational perspective. As a result, the course will provide students with a basis for reflecting on their relationships with nature, on the presence of humans in nature and on friluftsliv’s potential importance to both the development of sustainable society and the green shift.

Learning outcomes

The student should be able to:

Knowledge

  • Possess knowledge about the philosophy of nature and different perspectives on humans in nature.
  • Be aware of various discourses concerning friluftsliv, of what constitutes meaning and animates values in human–nature relationships and of different approaches to nature.
  • Understand slow friluftsliv as a concept, work method and philosophy of nature.


Skills

  • Explain different perspectives on the philosophy of nature and how relationships between humans, nature and society are expressed in discourses concerning friluftsliv.
  • Plan, implement and develop slow friluftsliv for selected target groups and contexts.
  • Use creative and aesthetic forms of expression while working with slow friluftsliv, sensations and pedagogical nature meetings.

General qualification

  • Reflect on the presence of humans in nature and on friluftsliv’s potential importance to both the development of sustainable societies and the green shift.
  • Critically continue to develop his/her own competence and specialisation in the practice field of outdoor education.

 

Learning styles and activities

The course will feature various teaching methods, ranging from teacher-led instruction to student-led sessions involving planning, implementing and evaluating their own and others’ work. Key texts and first-hand experiences with nature and friluftsliv will be processed during lectures and discussed during group work as well as seminars. The course will include several short and long trips into the local environment, and ‘seminars in the wild’, to experience and explore slow friluftsliv.

Mandatory assignment

Full participation (100%) in scheduled outdoor activities is mandatory.

To be considered to have completed the course, students must also attend and participate fully in at least 80% of lectures and other class sessions.

In addition, the student have to deliver a sketch for the in-depth assignment. Approved / not approved.

In special cases, where absence is due to extenuating circumstances, the course coordinator, in discussion with the student, will seek alternative ways of recapturing lost teaching/learning

 

Assessment

Assessment in the course consists of

  • a written in-depth assignment with the theme slow friluftsliv and firsthand experiences with nature (counting 70%)
  • a practical teaching session related to slow friluftsliv (counting 30%).

In the written assignment the student is expected to relate personal experiences to perspectives on philosophy of nature presented in the course. A reference list according to the APA standard must follow. The length shall not exceed 4000 words. Title pages, content list, reference list and attachments may come in addition.

Students will receive one final grade, ranging from A to F.

Please note that tasks delivered in WISEflow will be run through the plagiarism control program Urkund.

Core material

CORE MATERIAL:
1 BOOK:
Hverven, S. (2018). Naturfilosfi. Dreyers forlag 
* You can borrow the book from the Library here: ORIA

1 DIGITAL COMPENDIUM - available as a PDF through Canvas:
Abelsen, K. (Ed.). (2021). FRI302: Nature philosophy and slow friluftsliv: 2021-2022 (Digital Compendium). Norges idrettshøgskole.
* This PDF is available through Canvas.

Table of contents (referencelist) after APA 7th ed.:
Gelter, H. (2007). Friluftsliv as slow experiences in a post-modern «experience» society. In B. Henderson & N. Vikander (Eds.), Nature first (pp. 37-46). Natural Heritage Books.

Haukeland, P. I. (2020). Friluftslivsveiledning og oppmerksomt naturnærvær som livsmestring hos barn og unge. I A. Myskja & C. Fikse (Eds.), Perspektiver på livsmestring i skolen (pp. 167–194). Cappelen Damm Akademisk.

Leirhaug, P. E. (2003). Økosofi B – helhetssyn på barns friluftsliv. I T. E. Bagøien (Eds.), Barn i friluft: Om verdifullt friluftsliv (2nd ed.) (pp. 35-59). Sebu forlag.

Leirhaug, P. E. (2010). Grepet av natur? Om friluftsliv, naturvennskap og miljøkrise. I B. Dahle, Ø. Dahle, N. Faarlund, S. Næss, S. K. Setereng & F. Wagle (Eds.), Arven og gleden: Et festskrift til naturen (pp. 133-140). Tapir akademisk forlag.

Næss, A. (1995). Ecosophy and gestalt ontology. In G. Session (Ed.), Deep ecology for the twenty-first century (pp. 240-245). Shambhala.

Næss, A. (2008). Freedom, self, and activeness, according to Spinoza. In A. Drengson & B. Devall (Eds.), Ecology of wisdom (pp. 274-275). Counterpoint.

Reed, P. & Rothenberg, D. (1993). Deep ecology from summit to blockade. In P. Reed & D. Rothenberg (Eds.), Wisdom in the open air: The Norwegian roots of deep ecology (pp. 1-35). University of Minnesota Press.

Tordsson, B. (2000). Om friluftsliv som naturforståelse og om friluftslivets egenart. In H. Kolstad (Red.), Har fjellet ansikt? Naturfilosofiske essays (pp. 177-192). Naturfilosofisk seminar.

Vetlesen, A. J. (2019). Cosmologies of the Anthropocene: Panpsychism, Animism, and the Limits of Posthumanism. Routledge.
* Pages 60-108, Panpsychism as "Inner Physics": Whitehead’s Project

6 ELECTRONIC ARTICLES:

NB! To open electronic articles off campus, you need to use the following VPN connection: Click here to download.

Breivik, G. (2019). ‘Richness in ends, simpleness in means!’ on Arne Naess’s version of deep ecological friluftsliv and its implications for outdoor activities. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.1080/17511321.2020.1789719
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Breunig, M. (2020). Slow nature-focused leisure in the days of COVID-19: Repressive myths, social (in)justice, and hope. Annals of Leisure Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2020.1859390
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Gurholt, K. P. (2014). Joy of nature, friluftsliv education and self: Combining narrative and cultural–ecological approaches to environmental sustainability. Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning, 14(3), 233-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2014.948802
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Harneshaug, K. A. (2016). Nærleik og naturetikken. Norsk filosofisk tidsskrift, 51(3-4), 184-196. https://www.idunn.no/nft/2016/03-04/naerleik_og_naturetikken
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Mathias, S., Daigle, P., Dancause, K. N. & Gadais, T. (2020). Forest bathing: A narrative review of the effects on health for outdoor and environmental education use in Canada.  Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 23, 309-321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-020-00058-3
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Varley, P. & Semple, T. (2015). Nordic slow adventure: Explorations in time and nature. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 15(1/2), 73-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250.2015.1028142
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

1 UNPUBLISHED ARTICLE:
Leirhaug, P. E. & Abelsen, K. (upublisert). Langsomt friluftsliv som en pedagogisk modell (Arbeidsnotat).
* This PDF is available through Canvas.

1 WEB DOCUMENT:
Tordsson, B. (u.å.). Langsommere, dypere, mykere: Innlegg på TUR-konferansen til DNT 13.november 2015. https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/turistforeningen/files/a5649a32c9500008179b9c05ba5082047a20ff15.pdf
* This is available online: Click here to download.

Anbefalt litteratur

4 ELECTRONIC JOURNAL ARTICLES:
Ives, C., Abson, H., Dorninger, C., Klaniecki, K. & Fischer, J. (2018). Reconnecting with Nature for Sustainability. Sustainability Science, 13, 1389-1397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0542-9
* The article is available online: Click here to download.  

 Naturvernforbundet i Oslo og Akershus. (2014). Friluftsliv, naturopplevelse og livskvalitet. Grevlingen, 2014(5 - Spesialutgave), 1-99. https://naturvernforbundet.no/grevlingen-noas-medlemsblad/category4099.html
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

Sandven, J. (2019). Å kjenne seg i slekt med Jorden: Natursløyd og økosofi i fremtidens tverrfaglige skole. Techne serien, 26(1), 65-92. https://journals.oslomet.no/index.html.php/techneA/article/view/2642
* The article is available online: Click here to download.

White, L. Jr. (1967). The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis. Science, 155(3767), 1203-1207. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1720120
* The article is available online: Click here to download.