Living with Gaia: Deep Ecological and Social Selves

Abstract

The sociological study of identities has become more important in recent years with the emergence of expressive forms of politics in the so-called ‘new social movements’ and their construction of grassroots collective identities. The social construction of identity has also been a theme within debates on consumerism and the consumer society, which enables and encourages the purchase of elements for the construction of social identities. The dominance of broadly social constructionist arguments in this field has not allowed for a systematic discussion with the alternative arguments presented by deep ecologists and ecofeminists, many of whom claim a strong connection between self identities and the rest of nature. Their concept of an ‘ecological self’ is vigorously contested in academic debates, feminist scholarship and within environmental and Green movements. Whilst some see such a concept as essentialist and politically regressive, harking back to arguments that propose ‘natural’ gender divisions, others believe that amongst the alternative proposals for the solution of environmental problems, the most effective is likely to involve encouraging people to recognise their rootedness in natural ecosystems and hence their intrinsically ecological self-concept. This chapter outlines the terms of this debate and brings ecological theories into contact with sociological theories of self formation and the creation of self identities. In doing so, the extent to which ecological and sociological theories are potentially compatible may become a little clearer.