The Changes of Environmental Consciousness and the Formation of a Local Community through Participating in a Local Problem

지역환경문제 참여를 통한 환경의식 변화와 지역공동체 형성

The purpose of this study is to understand what kind of effects a local residents’ participation on a local environmental problem has on the Environmental consciousness of the resident, and on the local community. I (researcher) employed qualitative research methods on the residents' environmental movement, which claimed to preserve the Sung Mi Mountain from the Seoul City Hall's plan of the water reservoir construction. I tried to understand the participation motivation and participating actions, and also the changes and effects the participation brought at both a personal, and community level. The data were gathered by means of in-depth interview with the local residents and unstructured questionnaire. At first, through the residents' environmental movement, the participants acquired a growth in environmental consciousness. For example, they obtained better understanding of the environment, change of attitude to environment, and participation function. Secondly, it is meaningful that a local tie intervened by the environment, enforced self-governing, and shows how community sentiment plays an important role for local community organization. Moreover, the environmental movement contributed to developing a ‘culture for participation’. In conclusion, participating in a local environmental problem can be an integration of learning and practice and also leads to reflective thinking about the relationship not only between human beings and nature, but also among human beings. In addition, it can buildup a systemic cooperation for local problem-solving and the ability to make an alternative culture in the community. These are the significances of the local environmental problem-participation on the environmental education.