Gender and Sustainability in Ecological Intentional Communities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Some environmentalists connect their activism to feminism, arguing that mitigating climate change will require transforming gender hierarchies. In this study, I consider two ecological intentional communities that attempt to meld their feminist and environmental ideals in practice. Drawing on participant observation and in-depth interviews conducted at Twin Oaks Intentional Community and Navdanya Bioconservation Farm, I examine how each group implements feminist principles and how members understand the connection between gender equality and environmental sustainability. I find that despite their different gender arrangements, both communities address the unpaid care work of women in modeling visions of environmental sustainability, suggesting an important lesson for wider society.