Eco-Activism Contributions to Social Learning - Drawing from the Turcot Public Debate

Oct 15, 2026

Highlights the social learning dynamics, ethical and epistemological issues, and outcomes of an urban transport controversy where eco-activists expanded beyond critique to propose a technically detailed alternative through a collective ethical clarification process. Drawing on findings from a case study of Montreal’s Turcot interchange reconstruction, it examines how non-formal eco-citizenship education research can strengthen social movements and support the transformation of democratic institutions by enriching public debate and collective reflection.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Social learning and eco-activism in environmental controversy

Case study: Turcot interchange public debate

Implications for non-formal eco-citizenship education

Eco-Activism Contributions to Social Learning: Drawing from the Turcot Public Debate Laurence Brière, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada Abstract: This article highlights the social learning dynamics, issues, and outcomes characterizing an urban transport controversy in which activists played an innovative role, going beyond the project’s critique to present a technically detailed alternative, grounded in a collective ethical clariﬁcation process. The article then draws on a case study experience and ﬁndings to discuss how research in the ﬁeld of non-formal eco-citizenship education can contribute to the reinforcement of social movements and the transformation of democratic institutions. Résumé: Cet article met en exergue les dynamiques d’apprentissage et les enjeux (éthiques,épistémologiques) qui ont caractérisé une controverse à propos d’un méga-projet de transport routier en milieu urbain. Dans le cadre de ce long débat, des militantset militantes ont joué un rôle innovant en dépassant la critique du projet initial pour y proposer une alternative techniquement détaillée, fondée sur des principes de justice sociale et de responsabilité environnementale convenus collectivement.À l’appui des résultats de cette étude de cas, l’auteure discute d’avenues de recherche dans le champ de la formation relative à l’écocitoyenneté, qui puissent contribuer au renforcement de mouvements sociaux comme à la transformation d’institutions démocratiques. Keywords: activism, eco-citizenship education, environmental controversies, social learning, social transformation, urban transportation, Turcot interchange Mots-clés : militantisme, formation relative à l’écocitoyenneté, controverses environnementales, apprentissage dans l’action sociale, transformation sociale, transport urbain, échangeur Turcot Eco-Activism Contributions to Social Learning: Drawing from the Turcot Public Debate Eco-citizenship education is receiving an increasing amount of attention within the environmental education ﬁeld of study and intervention. Although an important trend in eco-citizenship education is eco-friendly practice, a growing group of scholars and educators are instead aiming for the endogenous development of eco-political knowledge and competencies. From this perspective, citizenship 150 Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 23 (3), 2020 is considered as a lifelong learning process, embedded in community projects, collective actions, and activism. Through this critical and humanistic prism, ecocitizenship can be viewed as an auto- and co-determination process, informed by reﬂective explorations of one’s inner landscape, relationships with others, and the environment. Social movements about socio-ecological issues are known as rich learning contexts (Biddix, Somers & Polman, 2009; Brière, 2016; Orellana & Marleau, 2015; Walter, 2007) . The learning processes and outcomes characterizing the interactions between activists, government representatives, project instigators, and other stakeholders of an environmental controversy are also of great public interest. These experiences showcase differentiated realities within a given debate. Overall, deliberative contexts have the potential to foster important transformative learning. In such conversations, ethical, political, and epistemological issues are raised and faced, challenging everyone’s viewpoints. Debates then create unique opportunities for different interest groups to reﬂect upon and evolve in their understanding of a problem. In the following, I draw upon a case study of the debate about Montreal’s Turcot interchange reconstruction to demonstrate ways in which research oneco-activism and public debates from a collective learning viewpoint can contribute to social change and new, non-formal educational perspectives. After having brieﬂy outlined the case, the objectives and structure of the study, and some of its striking results, I discuss ways in which such types o

FAQs

How do activists contribute to social learning in the Turcot controversy?

Activists go beyond critiquing the original project by presenting a technically detailed alternative grounded in a collective ethical clarification process.

What is the main case study discussed in the article?

The article draws on a case study of the public debate about Montreal’s Turcot interchange reconstruction.

How can non-formal eco-citizenship education research influence social movements and democracy?

Research in this field can reinforce social movements and nourish collective reflection, contributing to the transformation of democratic institutions.

Oct 15, 2026

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