Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Major Professor

Nina H. Fefferman

Committee Members

Elizabeth Derryberry, Garriy Shteynberg, David Talmy

Abstract

For several years, conversations about the absence of racial and ethnic diversity in ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) and the conservation movement have been growing in scope. Critics argue that the overwhelmingly white demography of EEB departments and conservation organizations deprive both of a necessary diversity of perspective and, more importantly, deprive people of color and other minoritized groups of a voice in the study of and advocacy for their lived environments. Here, I situate the current conversations in historical context, arguing that the current lack of diversity is in part a reflection of the material and ideological bases for environmentalist thought being deeply embedded in the white supremacist assumptions of a colonialist perspective. I further argue that, if our departments and organizations are to truly diversify, we must both confront this history explicitly, and open ourselves to critical perspectives from groups and coalitions we have previously ignored.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS