The paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectives
Abstract Are ecovillages suited to the challenge of climate change and radical social transformation? While often framed as social experiments with the potential to support dramatic social change, we argue that ecovillages should be seen as more than that - complicated sites which both enable and co...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | npj Climate Action |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00100-w |
| _version_ | 1797233178079920128 |
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| author | Chelsea Schelly Zach Rubin Joshua Lockyer |
| author_facet | Chelsea Schelly Zach Rubin Joshua Lockyer |
| author_sort | Chelsea Schelly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Are ecovillages suited to the challenge of climate change and radical social transformation? While often framed as social experiments with the potential to support dramatic social change, we argue that ecovillages should be seen as more than that - complicated sites which both enable and constrain social action in the fight to stem the effects of climate change. As ethnographic researchers with a variety of experiences researching ecovillages, we critically examine some of the factors that affect the power of ecovillages to accomplish this mission, including governance modes that support reduced individual consumption patterns and impact; a commons infrastructure with decreased socioeconomic demands on members, and differing geographic locales with varying socio-political limitations. We conclude this piece by discussing how these factors should inform future research on the transformative nature of ecovillages. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:12:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5453a0c730154d30974946d74dff4b9a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2731-9814 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:12:02Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Climate Action |
| spelling | doaj.art-5453a0c730154d30974946d74dff4b9a2024-03-31T11:38:36ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate Action2731-98142024-03-01311910.1038/s44168-024-00100-wThe paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectivesChelsea Schelly0Zach Rubin1Joshua Lockyer2Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological UniversityDepartment of Government, Criminology, and Sociology, Lander UniversityDepartment of Behavioral Sciences, Arkansas Tech UniversityAbstract Are ecovillages suited to the challenge of climate change and radical social transformation? While often framed as social experiments with the potential to support dramatic social change, we argue that ecovillages should be seen as more than that - complicated sites which both enable and constrain social action in the fight to stem the effects of climate change. As ethnographic researchers with a variety of experiences researching ecovillages, we critically examine some of the factors that affect the power of ecovillages to accomplish this mission, including governance modes that support reduced individual consumption patterns and impact; a commons infrastructure with decreased socioeconomic demands on members, and differing geographic locales with varying socio-political limitations. We conclude this piece by discussing how these factors should inform future research on the transformative nature of ecovillages.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00100-w |
| spellingShingle | Chelsea Schelly Zach Rubin Joshua Lockyer The paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectives npj Climate Action |
| title | The paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectives |
| title_full | The paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectives |
| title_fullStr | The paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | The paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectives |
| title_short | The paradox of collective climate action in rural U.S. ecovillages: ethnographic reflections and perspectives |
| title_sort | paradox of collective climate action in rural u s ecovillages ethnographic reflections and perspectives |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00100-w |
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