Charting the Entrudo: Ecopedagogy of Cultural Heritage in the European Outermost Region of the Azores

This monograph explores the application of ecopedagogy in addressing educational challenges within a globalized context. It begins with a theoretical examination to determine the most appropriate epistemological categories for this purpose, ultimately endorsing Lave and Wenger’s concept of “communities of practice.” The study identifies two key epistemological concepts, situatedness and practice, and their operationalizations: the “negotiability continuum” and “apparatus complexity.” These operationalizations are crucial in detecting “peripheral participation,” which is essential for successful communities of practice. The research conducted in Terceira Island, part of the Azores Autonomous Region in Portugal, involves desk research, participatory activities with a native assistant team, and fieldwork validation. The results highlight Terceira’s Carnival as a valuable cultural heritage for ecopeda-gogy due to its effective management of peripheral participation. The Carnival serves as a workshop that facilitates the negotiation of identity for different groups of islanders, making it a flexible heritage apparatus applicable to various strategic dispositifs.