Motherhood and Environmental Activism:A Developmental Framework

摘要

This article presents a framework for understanding a relativelynunexamined motivation for environmental activism—motherhood.nEnvironmental mother-activism is described as a multifaceted type ofnactivism that emerges through a woman’s role identity as a mothernand the associated meanings and responsibilities she assigns to thisnsocial position. We employ an interdisciplinary framework fornunderstanding the emergence of environmental mother-activistsn(ENVIMAs) and the various ways in which this activism manifests innpublic and private domains. To gain a richer understanding of thisnparticular stimulus for environmental activism and the mechanismsnthrough which it is enacting change, voices of ENVIMAs are used tonsupplement academic research and several examples of ENVIMAs innaction are provided. In addition, the collective impact of this growingngroup of eco-activists in accomplishing environmental change isndiscussed. Their endeavors in public and private spheres are high-nlighted, including four key areas in the private domain: technology,nhousehold practices, market power, and role modeling.