Format/Structure

Panel consisting of 3-4 papers, with planned time for robust exchange of ideas.

Long Abstract

It seems abundantly apparent that current approaches to environmental crises are not adequate to the scale of challenge. This panel is motivated by a conviction that the drivers of this gap include masculinist and patriarchal presumptions that are deeply embedded in conservation practice, policy, and theory. Patriarchal thinking not only undergirds foundational principles and practices of modern conservation, starting with core presumptions about what is to be valued, why, and how, but circumscribes its effectiveness. Among other outcomes, patriarchal norms establish and protect the hegemony of Western scientific norms in conservation, produce enormous violence against animals often in the service of ‘scientific management’, reify securitization and militarization in conservation practice, and rely on rationalizing the protection of nature through its commodification.

The co-convenors of this panel published a widely recognized perspectives essay in NJP/Biodiversity in 2024, “Mapping the Patriarchy in Conservation.” With this panel, we seek contributions that push the boundaries of this mapping to reveal even more critical understanding about the workings and implications of patriarchal approaches to conservation. This panel will also explore the prospects of centering feminist and intersectional perspectives. And with this panel, we hope to encourage and support networks of people working in conservation who are interested in exploring these and related issues.

This Panel has 2 pending paper proposals.
Propose paper