Women’s Voices for the Earth: A Discourse Analysis of Gendered, Environmental Media Advocacy

Author

Marit Olson, University of Montana - MissoulaFollow

Graduation Year

2015

Graduation Month

May

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

School or Department

Sociology

Major

Sociology – Inequality and Social Justice

Faculty Mentor Department

Sociology

Faculty Mentor

Cassandra Sheets

Keywords

"Women's Voices for the Earth", ecofeminism, toxins

Subject Categories

Civic and Community Engagement | Demography, Population, and Ecology | Gender and Sexuality | Place and Environment | Race and Ethnicity

Abstract

Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), a Missoula based, nationally recognized non-profit, empowers women to advocate against toxic chemicals that cause individual and community health hazards. There is little analysis of the intersection of women’s and environmental subjugation and how these intersections influence women’s environmental organizations. My research examines the influence of ecofeminist ideology, as framed by Karen Warren’s ecofeminist and class analysis, in WVE’s online discourse, primarily social media. To do so I apply a Foucaultian discourse analysis to WVE’s online publications, and compare that to an analysis of the online presence of Toxics Action Center (TAC), a non-gendered activist group with a similar mission. Results show the presence of women’s voices impact whether and how women specific issues are addressed. Moreover, in WVE’s discourse gender issues are discussed within the context of traditional gendered roles, which ultimately empowers these roles. The presence of women’s voices also connects with an increased discussion of intersectionality and social justice issues including race and class. While both WVE and TAC work within our established financial and political system, WVE also encourages activism through anti-consumption.

Honors College Research Project

1

Recommended Citation

Olson, Marit, "Women’s Voices for the Earth: A Discourse Analysis of Gendered, Environmental Media Advocacy" (2015). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 54.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/54