In Pursuit of Social Justice at the Postmodern Turn: Intersectional Activism Through the Lens of the Ecosexual Movement
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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 8-1-2019 In Pursuit of Social Justice at the Postmodern Turn: Intersectional Activism through the Lens of the Ecosexual Movement Jennifer Jean Reed Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Sociology Commons, and the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Repository Citation Reed, Jennifer Jean, "In Pursuit of Social Justice at the Postmodern Turn: Intersectional Activism through the Lens of the Ecosexual Movement" (2019). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 3747. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/16076289 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IN PURSUIT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AT THE POSTMODERN TURN: INTERSECTIONAL ACTIVISM THROUGH THE LENS OF THE ECOSEXUAL MOVEMENT By Jennifer J. Reed Bachelor of Arts – Psychology University of Mount Union 1992 Master of Arts – Sociology University of Akron 2000 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Sociology Department of Sociology College of Liberal Arts The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas August 2019 Copyright 2019 by Jennifer J. Reed All Rights Reserved Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 22, 2019 This dissertation prepared by Jennifer J. Reed entitled In Pursuit of Social Justice at the Postmodern Turn: Intersectional Activism through the Lens of the Ecosexual Movement is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Sociology Department of Sociology Barbara Brents, Ph.D. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Dean Ranita Ray, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Robert Futrell, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Marcia Gallo, Ph.D. Graduate College Faculty Representative ii ABSTRACT In this study, I examine the development of the ecosexual movement, a social movement that begins at the intersection of environmental and sexual struggles, from its inception in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Previous research suggests intersectionality in social movements often ends up being divisive because it emphasizes difference. Using a mixed qualitative methods design including ethnographic field work, interviews, and content analysis of related web and print materials, I analyze how the ecosexual movement negotiates intersectionality. I found the ecosexual movement links processual notions of environmental justice and sexual justice through a dominant collective action frame of queer, erotic, “irreverent environmentalism” (Seymour 2012; 2018) and “eco-camp” (Whitworth 2019) that resonates in a time of mainstream apocalyptic narratives. The use of disruptive strategies incorporating a celebratory style of collaborative experimental art, radical performance, and other absurd, creative, sensual, emotive, visceral tactics facilitates moving away from modern binary or dichotomous “either/or” ideology starting with the human/nature division. The ecosexual movement not only challenges modern hierarchical dualisms that frame issues as a struggle between two opposing sides, it opens participatory space for creating potential alternative models that demonstrate an embodied example of the postmodern alternative cultural discourse and social organization that situates all humans in “humanity” and humans in nature, the dialectic of humanity-in-nature (Moore 2015). iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Large, long-term projects require significant teamwork to be successful. I feel grateful for the little ecology that was my dissertation advisory committee. I am indebted to my advisor and committee chair, Dr. Barb Brents for facilitating my doctoral career, from admission into the program to my dissertation defense. While you sometimes initially laughed at my wacky ideas, you always listened and ultimately supported and even championed my follow-through of several. I am thankful for the thoughtful mentorship of my committee members, Drs. Robert Futrell, Ranita Ray, and Marcia Gallo. I also want to thank my former committee member who moved during the process for her early guidance, Dr. Shannon Monnat. Furthermore, I extend my appreciation to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Graduate College and Marjorie Barrick for their generous financial support for this project. I wouldn’t have a research project without the people who welcomed me into their spaces and generously shared their time and thoughts with me. I feel grateful for every person whose impression is found in this manuscript. I hope that I did justice in the narrative provided. Thank you for inspiring me. Returning to graduate school in Las Vegas just as the US market was crashing proved to be an interesting albeit harrowing personal and sociological experience. I will never forget my time spent in graduate student government as the department representative and on the executive board. Thank you to my colleagues who trusted to elect me to serve in these positions during particularly trying times. I will always treasure the collaboration with Michael Gordon, Sharon Smith, and Jenny Liese, under the guidance of Becky Bolton. We were truly a dream team. I will forever cherish those who shared this journey with me and the relationships we built. To my UNLV sociology graduate cohort, Jenny Heineman, Camille Pickett-Beeler, Jenna Findlay, Ezra Needham, Matthew Lust, Brian O’Hara, Robert McKee, and Jacqueline Ragin, each one of you touched my life in unique ways. I look forward to continuing to follow your amazing life stories and the impact you make in the world. Many other sociology graduate students who passed through the halls of UNLV at the same time made the experience a better one including Suzanne Becker, Crystal Jackson (my first co- author), Candace Griffith, Kerie Francis, Andi Dassopoulos, Sarah St. John, Mark Salvaggio, Dan and iv Allison Saul, Dan Hardin II, Brooke Wagner, Anna Smedley, Kimberly Tejchma-Sanford, Josh Kelley, Rachel Macfarlane, Jenni Whitmer, Tyler Schafer, Lori Fazzino Matos, Chris Conner (my road scholar partner), Denise Cook, Jennifer Stevens, Genevieve Minter, Alessandra Lanti, Dan Krystosek, Jason Scott, Tim Melnyk, Erick López, Matthew LeClaire (rest in power, dear comrade), Emily Coombes, Nick Baxter, Nick MacMurray, Jesus Gonzalez, Marta Soligo, Josiah Kidwell, Antoinette Izzo, Nickie Jenkins, Chris Percy, Allyson Garbacz, Ari Mitchum, Davina and Katrina Evans, Maddie Jo Evans, Raeven Chandler, Danielle Ely, and Samantha Wallace. I’d also like to thank the department office staff, Connie Dye, Pam Weiss, Elizabeth Kahre, and Sandra Bailey who were always there to offer invaluable support. Thank you to Valarie Burke for organizing the two super helpful Grad Rebel Writing Boot Camp programs that I attended. Thanks to Andi for letting me crash at your place while attending one of those week-long writing boot camps. Thank you to my sister, Kim for providing me a comfortable alternate space to write. I’d also like to thank Andi and Suzanne for supporting me by attending my dissertation defense. That meant a lot. Denise, thank you for coming through for me at a moment’s notice when a family crisis arose. I’ll never forget your generous support and kindness. Lori, you deserve a special shout out for inviting me to and hosting me in Shanghai, China upon degree completion. What a tremendous gift of friendship! And Sebring Frehner, a special thank you for always believing in me. I would like to acknowledge every professor from whom I took a graduate course and those who offered mentorship over the years. I appreciate you challenging me to be a better scholar. I especially want to thank Dr. David Dickens for his remarkable sociological theory courses that influenced my perspective as a critical postmodern scholar and Dr. Simon Gottschalk for assisting me in publishing my first scholarly book chapter. Likewise, I appreciate my scholarly mentors that I lost too soon, Drs. Brent K. Marshall and Fred Preston. Even though we never had the chance to complete the work we began together, I know you both watched over and cheered me on through the doctoral process. My life has been richer for the short time we knew each other. Last but certainly not least, thank you to my mom for my creative side and my dad for my intellectual side. This project truly challenged me to embrace both. v For my children, Daniel and Brianna; and my grandchildren, Liam, Lowan, Lynk, Legend, and future. To creating a new, inclusive way forward, with compassion, creativity, and humor. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................................................