The development of an intersectional methodology for a social constructionist ecofeminism

Lucas, Stephanie (2024). The development of an intersectional methodology for a social constructionist ecofeminism. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

The fundamental claim of ecofeminist theory is that there are connections between the oppressions of women and nature. With climate change causing ever increasing concern, and feminism having moved into a fourth wave, ecofeminism offers important insights into injustices across both human and nonhuman spheres. However, there have been significant criticisms posed to ecofeminist work, notably that it tends towards essentialism in its categorisation of ‘woman’ and ‘nature’. Whilst social constructionist ecofeminists, like Val Plumwood, have sought to develop ecofeminist theory to not fall foul of these problems, with contemporary ecofeminists such as Greta Gaard noting the value of intersectional ideas within ecofeminist theory, intersectionality as an approach for overcoming essentialism has not yet been embedded in ecofeminist thought in a way that is structural and explicit. I propose that centring intersectionality disrupts essentialised categorisation by highlighting the complex interplay between privileged and oppressed identity categories. Therefore, this thesis seeks to contribute to this shift away from essentialism in ecofeminist literature by developing a novel intersectional methodology for ecofeminist theory. The method employed throughout the research project was within the political and theoretical traditions of surveying literature, and this enabled a collecting of research which highlighted that applications of intersectionality in feminism have tended not to include the nonhuman within their scope, whilst ecofeminism possesses the architecture to address these intersections. The project was centred on methodology- building, and subsequent methodology-testing through an exploration of feminised proteins. This intersectional methodology, designed for ecofeminist theory, is applied to the case study of the egg and dairy industries to respond to their related intersecting injustices. I suggest that an intersectional methodology allows us to understand the complexity of oppression in a way that leads to recommendations of praxis that can more successfully ameliorate these oppressions.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):