Political ecology: concepts and frameworks

¶ … Gender and Environment" the authors argue that women are becoming an important part of the ecology movement. The authors suggest that there is a "new conceptual framework" being recognized by feminists as to ecology and the environment. In the recent past, scholars have viewed political ecology as a challenge that deals with quality of life and access to resources -- and much of this movement has revolved around "the domain of men" (Rocheleau, p. 6).

But another approach is emerging; the point of this essay is that gender should also play an important role in the goal of a safe and healthy environment. In fact women in North America and Europe have been active in conservation and environmental movements -- taking to task the "the prevailing paradigm of professional science" -- albeit their work has not caught the attention of the media (and the male power structure) in many cases, the authors explain (p. 7). Women in Asia, Africa and Latin American have launched movements to protect "…forests, trees and water resources," the authors continue. And in the process of becoming active, women have asserted their "…gender control over [the] quality of their environment" and hence, as women begin to "…define their identities" they are "redefining environmental issues to include women's knowledge, experience, and interests" (Rocheleau, 14).

The approach in this essay embraces the thought that women are in essence fighting for recognition within the environmental movement by redefining their "…collective action emphasizing struggle, resistance, and cooperation" (Rocheleau, 15). Women are increasingly "finding voice" when it comes to their ecology and the health and safety of their communities and families; and they are able to use their voices by participating with grassroots groups and organizations that are actively involved in social change by stressing "…the value of all human beings and their rights to satisfy basic human needs" (Rocheleau, 18).

In Paul Robbins' Chapter 4 material, the author explains that political ecology relates to nature, society and power. Nature is being plundered, society is suffering from that degradation, and the political power is not often on the side of the people. Political ecology is not theoretical but rather it is emerging as a "community of practice." That community is what Robbins calls "a constituency that holds a deep and abiding skepticism…of the institutions that manage the environment," and it is a community of instructors that teach classes on environment and development (Robbins, 85). Hence, it is a community very concerned about the natural world and it is engaged in a power struggle with entrenched political forces. Also, it is a community of committed individuals that "listens and argues," "criticizes and defends," and is determined to partner with others that are deeply concerned about the ongoing degradation of the ecology of the planet.