Authors: Linda Connor Glenn Albrecht Nick Higginbotham Sonia Freeman Wayne Smith
Publish Date: 2004/10/28
Volume: 1, Issue: 2, Pages: SU47-SU58
Abstract
This article presents the theory and method informing an ongoing study of environmental change and human distress in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales NSW Australia The nature of environmental change in the Upper Hunter landscape over the past two centuries is first described followed by the preliminary results of a longterm study that aims to investigate the nature of residents’ understanding of and responses to environmental change Data from indepth interviews found that the transformation of the environment from mining and power station activities was associated with significant expressions of distress linked to negative changes to interviewees’ sense of place wellbeing and control A new concept “solastalgia” is introduced to help explain the relationship between ecosystem health human health and powerlessness We claim that solastalgia as opposed to nostalgia is a type of homesickness distress that one gets when one is still “at home” Future research will aim to validate a questionnaire to test the hypothesis that environmental distress is associated with levels of depression quality of life and rates of stressrelated disease as well as activism and environmental rehabilitation
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