socenv

Sociology 370: Environment and society

Spring 2008

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Environmental discourse: Summary and history

This table summarizes Brulle's categorizations of environmental movements and their respective 'discourses.' They're also in order in terms of their historical development (we're talking about environmental movements in the U.S., so this is not an attempt at ethnocentrism--many of these movements have antecedents in traditional, or at least other industrialized and non-industrialized societies). Keep in mind these categorizations mainly to help think about environmental movements and history. Combined with the timeline and the readings, it should help paint a picture of the historical processes and events that have brought us to the new century.

Discourse	Frame	Groups, movements
manifest destiny (Puritan origins in 17th century; 19th century America; late 20th wise use)	Nature is to be used; nature is abundant; humans are entitled to use nature for their needs	American property rights alliance; Center for the defense of free enterprise
conservationism (19th century America, German forestry roots)	Nature can be sustainably managed by technical professionals; utilitarianism	Izaak Walton League; Keep American beautiful
preservationism (19th century America, late 20th century renaissance)	Wilderness and wildlife are essential to human well-being; natural systems often require protection from human use, abuse	Nature conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club
ecocentrism (1960s in America)	Humans and ecosystems are interconnected	NRDC; ZPG; Friends of the Earth; Worldwatch
political ecology (1970s, 1980s)	Politics and economics create environmental problems; treadmill of production; global inequalities in terms of nature and exploitation; 'think globally, act locally'	Earth Summits; Indigenous Peoples' / Env. Justice Movements; Clamshell Alliance; Greenpeace; Green Parties
deep ecology (1970s-80s)	Politics and economics create environmental problems; treadmill of production; global inequalities in terms of nature and exploitation; think globally, act locally	PETA; Rainforest Action Network; EarthFirst!
ecofeminism (early 1980s)	Ecosystem abuse rooted in androcentric concepts, institutions	WED

Date: 1903
: dominated by or emphasizing masculine interests or a masculine point of view; "andro'centrism noun (source)

Robert Brulle. 2001. Environmental discourse and social movement organizations: A historical and rhetorical perspective on the development of U.S. environmental organizations. Pp 217-37 in (R. Scott Frey, editor) The Environment and Society Reader. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. On electronic reserve