Abstract
The lawn as material practice is historically grounded in a complex of influences that has given rise to its dominance as the appropriate landscaping form in urban and suburban North America for private green space. This occurs as a variety of ecological concerns challenge the continuation of the lawned landscape. The inability of such critique to displace this dominance attests to the ideological naturalization of the lawn. This paper examines current and historical factors that sustain the lawn's dominance and presents two interrelated findings. The first is the "social machinery" that delineates the informal and formal arrangements for upholding and monitoring landscaping practices. The second are residential property holders' perspectives on the importance of the lawn, and associations between residential yard practices and professed environmental concerns. Apparently, the lawn retains enough symbolic and material value to withstand critique, a quality that removes it from the geography of environmental concerns. [Key words: ecological naturalization, naturalization, transgression, lawn.]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
