SOLASTALGIA AND ECOLOGICAL GRIEF IN CLIMATE FICTION: AN ECOPSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FLIGHT BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

In the unfolding era of climate crisis, literary works that grapple with environmental issues have increasingly become focal points for both scholarly and public discourse. Literature, in this sense, operates not only as an artistic endeavor but also as a critical medium for reflecting and shaping environmental consciousness. Within this evolving field of inquiry, solastalgia—a term coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht to describe the distress produced by environmental change—has emerged as a key concept for examining the emotional and psychological dimensions of ecological transformation. Closely related is the notion of ecological grief, the mourning that arises in response to biodiversity loss, degradation of ecosystems, and the foreclosing of certain environmental futures. Barbara Kingsolver’s novel Flight Behavior (2012) offers a nuanced literary representation of these phenomena, foregrounding the lived experiences of individuals and communities as they face the tangible impacts of a changing climate. Building upon the intersection of ecocriticism and ecopsychology, this article undertakes a close reading of Flight Behavior to illuminate how solastalgia and ecological grief are manifested, experienced, and potentially mitigated in the fictional rural community depicted in the novel. By integrating theoretical insights from ecopsychology, the analysis herein demonstrates how literary texts like Flight Behavior can foster a deeper understanding of environmental affect and, in turn, enrich our collective engagement with climate challenges.

Keywords

• Solastalgia
• Climate Fiction
• Ecopsychology
• Ecological Grief
• Environmental Consciousness

İKLİM YAZININDA SOLASTALJİ VE EKOLOJİK YAS: EKOPSİKOLOJİK PERSPEKTİFTEN FLIGHT BEHAVIOUR ANALİZİ

Abstract

Gelişmekte olan iklim krizi çağında, çevre sorunlarıyla ilgilenen edebi eserler hem akademik hem de kamusal söylem için giderek daha fazla odak noktası hâline gelmiştir. Edebiyat, bu anlamda, sadece sanatsal bir çaba olarak değil, aynı zamanda çevre bilincini yansıtmak ve şekillendirmek için eleştirel bir araç olarak da faaliyet göstermektedir. Bu gelişen araştırma alanı içinde, filozof Glenn Albrecht tarafından çevresel değişimin yarattığı sıkıntıyı tanımlamak için ortaya atılan bir terim olan solastalji, ekolojik dönüşümün duygusal ve psikolojik boyutlarını incelemek için anahtar bir kavram olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Biyoçeşitlilik kaybı, ekosistemlerin bozulması ve belirli çevresel geleceklerin önünün kesilmesine tepki olarak ortaya çıkan yas, ekolojik yas kavramı ile yakından ilişkilidir. Barbara Kingsolver’ın Flight Behavior (2012) adlı romanı, değişen iklimin somut etkileriyle yüzleşen bireylerin ve toplulukların yaşadıkları deneyimleri ön plana çıkararak bu olguların incelikli bir edebi temsilini sunmaktadır. Ekoeleştiri ve ekopsikolojinin kesişimine dayanan bu makale, romanda tasvir edilen kurgusal kırsal toplulukta solastalji ve ekolojik yasın nasıl ortaya çıktığını, deneyimlendiğini ve potansiyel olarak hafifletildiğini aydınlatmak için Flight Behavior’ın yakın bir okumasını yapmaktadır. Bu analiz, ekopsikolojiden teorik görüşleri entegre ederek, Flight Behavior gibi edebi metinlerin çevresel duygulanımın daha derin bir şekilde anlaşılmasını nasıl teşvik edebileceğini ve bunun karşılığında iklim sorunlarıyla kolektif ilişkimizi nasıl zenginleştirebileceğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

• Solastalji
• İklim Kurgu
• Ekopsikoloji
• Ekolojik Yas
• Çevresel Bilinç

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