“Ecologizing” Educational Psychology as an Ethical-Political Commitment

Abstract

Our current era is marked by rapid intensification of the climate and environmental crisis, with its most severe effects being felt first and disproportionately by the most vulnerable populations. Faced with this scenario, sciences focusing on society and human beings will not remain uninvolved. Educational psychology, as a discipline involved in the development of history and global structures, can offer valuable insights into alternative ways of living, interacting, and promoting well-being. The article proposes a reflection on the necessary ecologization of educational psychology, seeking to articulate a historical perspective of this field of knowledge and practice in Brazil with a bibliography on the environmental and climate emergency, which conceives of capitalist and colonial dominations at the heart of careless ways of inhabiting the planet, such as the ecosophy proposed by Félix Guattari (1990), Indigenous psychology addressed by Danilo Guimarães (2022) and the decolonial ecology of Malcom Ferdinand (2022). The text points to a more plural, intercultural educational psychology committed to social and environmental justice, based on establishing dialogues with counter-hegemonic knowledge - for example, that emerging from Indigenous, quilombola and community contexts. It highlights the need to reassess training programs to tackle inequalities and encourage new ways of shaping identities during climate collapse. Additionally, research and professional practices must be reviewed to address these challenges effectively.