Representations of nature and natural phenomena have long been a part of Japanese cultural productions. Flowers, plants, birds, and other natural phenomena are common motifs present in Japanese...Show moreRepresentations of nature and natural phenomena have long been a part of Japanese cultural productions. Flowers, plants, birds, and other natural phenomena are common motifs present in Japanese literature, such as waka, picture scrolls, and paintings. Even in more contemporary media, such as anime, these themes are widespread. The interdisciplinary field ecocriticism—which is relatively new in non-Anglophone spheres—allows us to analyse how nature and the nonhuman world are portrayed in these works. In addition, one of the concepts used by ecocritical philosophers called “ecocentrism” decentralises the human in the anthropocentric ideals and conceptualise a world where both human and nonhuman nature are equal. Ecoscapes, a term borrowed from urban ecology studies, takes ecocentric thought as its basis. These ecoscapes conceptualise the integration of the human and the nonhuman where the two coexist interdependently. In other words, they portray an environment that is less human-centred than an environment that is shaped to benefit humans without any concern of the nonhuman world, exploiting and exhausting the natural world. This thesis explores how the representations of such ecoscapes that are created by human-nonhuman relationships challenge anthropocentrism in the anime Mahoutsukai no Yome. Furthermore, these relationships are also looked at through an ecofeminist lens, which argues for the connection between women and nature in their oppression. This case study analyses the TV series and breaks down its various ecoscapes after which it argues for their opposition against anthropocentric views.Show less
The effects of climate change are becoming visible throughout the world and with it the call for more environmental policies inspired by ecocentrism, a philosophy that attributes intrinsic moral...Show moreThe effects of climate change are becoming visible throughout the world and with it the call for more environmental policies inspired by ecocentrism, a philosophy that attributes intrinsic moral value to nature. One such policy is the Rights of Nature (RoN), which has already been implemented in several countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and New Zealand. The popularity of the RoN movement is growing but critical evaluations of the policy and implementation are scarce. This thesis aims to close that gap by evaluating the RoN from an ecofeminist perspective. I argue that the RoN’s use of gendered language perpetuates stereotypes of both women and nature and that the way the RoN is implemented now is just a continuation of the liberal Western system instead of the radical change it aims to be. I then apply the three ecofeminist philosophical principles of Phillips (2020) to the RoN and argue that though they help make the RoN more inclusive, they cannot induce radical change as long as they are implemented into a system that is built on the exploitation of both nature and women. Ecofeminism urges us to dismantle this system and base our policies on principles like empathy, care, and love.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Ecofeminist debate around ‘women as closer to nature’ centers the intersection between gender and climate. This assumption is put as unreliable, however ethnographic findings reveal that women of...Show moreEcofeminist debate around ‘women as closer to nature’ centers the intersection between gender and climate. This assumption is put as unreliable, however ethnographic findings reveal that women of the Greek island Corfu redefine ‘closeness to nature’ through the practice of herbalism. This study shows a nuanced depiction of the relationship between women and the natural environment, by revaluating notions of care and labor. Through ethnographic methods based on participant observation, in-depth interviews and filming, data is obtained. The data shows that the women of Corfu use herbalism as a means to be independent from their demanding role as caregivers; traditional knowledge is based on connections with past generations that refer to survival skills; herbalism teaches how mainstream society can live more sustainable. Concluding, herbalism is more than a practice. In the context of Corfu, herbalism critiques capitalist economies and creates a sustainable relationship with the natural environment. Through redefining labor and performing care as herbalist practice, lived experiences refine discussions on ‘women as closer to nature’.Show less
Aiming to develop an ecofeminist lens of lens-based art, this thesis analyses how the choice of a specific medium enhances the communication of concepts relating to the relationship between humans,...Show moreAiming to develop an ecofeminist lens of lens-based art, this thesis analyses how the choice of a specific medium enhances the communication of concepts relating to the relationship between humans, or women specifically, and nature. The implications of presenting the female body in nature are discussed through an amalgamation of (eco-)feminist theory and three established topics within media studies: representation, the moving image in the museum, and the affective turn. From representation in photography to affect in video art installation, the growing possibilities of lens-based art are argued to work towards more complex and critical artistic explorations of the relationship between the female body and nature.Show less
Concerns about environmental security appear to have become a global trend in the past decades. In the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), which are characterized by the decades-long Israeli...Show moreConcerns about environmental security appear to have become a global trend in the past decades. In the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), which are characterized by the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing political instability accompanying it, an increase in such concerns has similarly been experienced, especially with regard to the topic of water security. Simultaneously, the oPt are characterized by a population growth rate that exceeds to a significant extent that of most other nations with a similar developmental status. This striking population growth rate can arguably be linked to the Palestinian nationalist movement and its surrounding discourse, which encourages high birth rates in order to win what is sometimes referred to as a ‘demographic battle’ between Israelis and Palestinians. The seemingly contradictory discourses, one regarding population growth and the other regarding environmental, specifically water security form the basis for the research topic of this thesis; the thesis conducts a Critical Discourse Analysis into water security discourse amongst Palestinian NGOs during the Second Intifada, a nationalist uprising taking place at the start of this century.Show less
