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Young Activists in Muddy Boots : Fältbiologerna and the Ecological Turn, 1959–1974

Kaijser, Anna LU and Larsson Heidenblad, David LU (2018) In Scandinavian Journal of History 43(3). p.301-323
Abstract
The Swedish youth organization Fältbiologerna was founded in 1947 with the mission to inspire learning about nature through outdoor activities. Since then, the members have stayed true to their slogan ‘keep your boots muddy’ through engaging in bird watching and forest excursions; however, in the late 1960s and early 1970s – a period that environmental historians refer to as the ‘ecological turn’ – the organization’s activities were extended to also include political activism. Fältbiologerna increasingly evolved into a fertile terrain for young environmentalists. In this article, we explore how this Swedish branch of modern environmental youth activism came about. Based on a close reading of the members’ journal, Fältbiologen, between 1959... (More)
The Swedish youth organization Fältbiologerna was founded in 1947 with the mission to inspire learning about nature through outdoor activities. Since then, the members have stayed true to their slogan ‘keep your boots muddy’ through engaging in bird watching and forest excursions; however, in the late 1960s and early 1970s – a period that environmental historians refer to as the ‘ecological turn’ – the organization’s activities were extended to also include political activism. Fältbiologerna increasingly evolved into a fertile terrain for young environmentalists. In this article, we explore how this Swedish branch of modern environmental youth activism came about. Based on a close reading of the members’ journal, Fältbiologen, between 1959 and 1974, we identify four key characteristics that were communicated in the journal during the years of study: adventurous, knowledgeable, influential, and radical. We demonstrate that Fältbiologerna took an increasingly radical position and began to engage in environmental debates and actions, while still holding on to ideals of learning through spending time in nature. Participation in these different activities shaped the young members into environmentalists. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
environmental history, ecological turn, youth activism, environmentalism, Sweden
in
Scandinavian Journal of History
volume
43
issue
3
pages
23 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85030722758
ISSN
1502-7716
DOI
10.1080/03468755.2017.1380917
project
The History of Knowledge Cultures (funded by the Crafoord Foundation)
Lund Centre for the History of Knowledge
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
66d4ae7e-87e0-41aa-9ef9-6288c76c356e
date added to LUP
2017-05-05 08:52:53
date last changed
2024-02-29 13:51:57
@article{66d4ae7e-87e0-41aa-9ef9-6288c76c356e,
  abstract     = {{The Swedish youth organization Fältbiologerna was founded in 1947 with the mission to inspire learning about nature through outdoor activities. Since then, the members have stayed true to their slogan ‘keep your boots muddy’ through engaging in bird watching and forest excursions; however, in the late 1960s and early 1970s – a period that environmental historians refer to as the ‘ecological turn’ – the organization’s activities were extended to also include political activism. Fältbiologerna increasingly evolved into a fertile terrain for young environmentalists. In this article, we explore how this Swedish branch of modern environmental youth activism came about. Based on a close reading of the members’ journal, Fältbiologen, between 1959 and 1974, we identify four key characteristics that were communicated in the journal during the years of study: adventurous, knowledgeable, influential, and radical. We demonstrate that Fältbiologerna took an increasingly radical position and began to engage in environmental debates and actions, while still holding on to ideals of learning through spending time in nature. Participation in these different activities shaped the young members into environmentalists.}},
  author       = {{Kaijser, Anna and Larsson Heidenblad, David}},
  issn         = {{1502-7716}},
  keywords     = {{environmental history; ecological turn; youth activism; environmentalism; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{301--323}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of History}},
  title        = {{Young Activists in Muddy Boots : Fältbiologerna and the Ecological Turn, 1959–1974}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03468755.2017.1380917}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/03468755.2017.1380917}},
  volume       = {{43}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}