My post from last week touched upon my desire to continue to pursue my other interests, specifically Anthropology, Ethnic Studies and Political Science, within the context of Environmental Studies. Through my Solutions Project I also aim in bridging these topics. My Solutions Project is focused on critically analyzing the Environmental Movement in the United States by delving into how its ethnocentric tendencies have alienated certain individuals. As a reaction to this alienation underrepresented groups have united to form environmental organizations that specifically aim at empowering marginalized voices.
We will first familiarize ourselves with other global environmental movements to recognize how different cultures have created their own movements. This global perspective will also enable to see how culture plays a role in how people become mobilized as well as how they interpret environmentalism. By recognizing that environmental movements exist in a multiple of forms we can begin to break down our own biases of what it means to be environmentally conscious.
We will then narrow and situate our focus in Portland by viewing how environmentalism manifests here as well as who gets to be included in the movement/who does not. I view Portland as the mecca for environmentally conscious hippies but in this interpretation I am consequently assuming that only a specific group of people belong here. Today environmentalism is dominated by green washing and consumerism, not everyone can afford to buy the latest green gear or be able to consistently consume organic food. As a result only people with a certain amount of capital can engage in these activities. This has led to the exclusion many groups as well as a failure to fully praise strides that underrepresented groups have made and continue to make.
We seek to bring these injustices to light by recognizing how environmentalism has the ability to manifest in a multitude of ways.