Anxiety at Home: Exploring family experiences of eco-anxiety in Britain
Venue
OnlineDescription
From the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships
Dr Bridget Bradley, from the University of St Andrews, shares early findings from her ongoing project ‘Eco Worrier, Eco Warrior’
About this event
Dr Bridget Bradley shares early findings from her ongoing project ‘Eco Worrier, Eco Warrior’ which is funded by the Scottish Funding Council, and supported by her research team (Dr Rika Hirose, Hannah Fitchett and Eleonora Ranuzzi).
This paper describes the recent findings from virtual interviews and focus groups among climate activists in the UK on topics of ecological anxiety, fear and grief. We explore the ways that people at different life stages navigate their climate concerns and involvement in activism within their kinship networks. We demonstrate how conversations within families about the climate crisis remain a challenge for people of all ages despite increased public discourse on the topic. In this paper we argue that family issues are central to experiences of environmental action and related anxiety, as domestic relationships and circumstances shape peoples’ abilities to engage in certain actions, but also directly influence their hopes and fears for the future.
Key speakers
- Dr Bridget Bradley, University of St Andrews