DISASTEROUS DUALISMS: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF GENDER-BASED BELIEFS ABOUT SUSTAINABLE DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts By Caitlin Elizabeth Baiada May 2012 © 2012 Caitlin E. Baiada A B S T R A C T This study aimed to investigate connections between the historical instrumentalization of women and non-human nature in architectural practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 48 male and female architects in efforts to qualitatively test theoretical gender categorizations of male and female ways of knowing in contexts of their opinions on and approaches to sustainability in architecture. The primary purpose of research was to generate a hypothesis about the relationship between gender and sustainable design beliefs as well as uncover mechanisms reproducing the found phenomenon, which could indicate possible areas to institute change. The research questions were: How do female architect’s perception of, approach to, and philosophies about sustainable design differ from male architects? What influences the conception of an individual’s sustainable design philosophy and environmental attitudes? When consciously asked about their perceptions of gender differences in context of design, majority participants reported “no difference between male and female designs,” and claimed both genders produce “equally sensitive designs.” However, analysis of individually reported beliefs indicated male and female beliefs diverge in their preferred sustainable design strategies rather then larger sustainable design philosophies that reflect popular industry-wide opinions. Male participants discussed practical issues of energy use and honest evaluation/acceptance of the environment’s current state, while female participants discussed community and long term-related issues, such as the inclusion of social context in their definitions of sustainability, and reuse as a sustainable design strategy. It cannot be concluded that female architects express a more evolved approach to sustainable design, though the found gender differences reflect theoretical difference feminist categorizations of women as community oriented and men as practical. Further investigation of this phenomenon and its causal effects could highlight this hypothesis’ relevance to the future of sustainable design in the architecture profession. B I O G R A P H I C A L S K E T C H Caitlin Baiada received her B.S. in Interior Design from the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University in 2010. As part of the College of Human Ecology, Cornell’s interior design program placed strong emphasis on the human experience. Here, Caitlin developed her abilities to create functional, responsible, and aesthetically stimulating spaces that provide a cohesive experience for users. Her broad interests in issues of the built environment motivated her to additionally pursue a concentration in architecture during her undergraduate studies, traveling to various cities in Spain and Portugal as part of the Cornell Summer Architecture Program in 2008. Here she worked on studio projects in multidisciplinary teams and expanded upon skills of hand sketching, architectural history, urban planning, and photography. She has also studied at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in 2008, enriching and diversifying her approach to design challenges through the investigation of a Scandinavian design perspective. She has held a number of internship in various fields of design (interior design, fashion, graphic design) that reflect her diverse interests, but has aspirations to pursue a career in social and sustainable interior design/ architecture. Caitlin’s interests in sustainable design first arose during her freshman year at Cornell with the inspiration of Professor Jack Elliott, under whose guidance she would later go on to complete her Master of Arts in Sustainable Design Studies. She also participated in research with Jack Elliott, prototyping an aluminum nodes and local hardwood beam pentagonal construction system for the proposed Educational and Administrative Building of the Children’s Garden of Ithaca. Caitlin’s curiosity about how design can respond appropriately to given social and environmental contexts has only grown during her graduate studies and she plans to continue exploration of these topics as she enters the world of professional practice. iii Dedicated to Ithaca, NY, whose natural beauty and positive energy has provided me with the love, awareness, and inspiration to see peace in all forms of life. iv A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S I would first like to thank professor Jack Elliott, my major committee member, who over the past six years has served as a professor, mentor, and friend to me. His passion for design, sustainability, architectural theory, and environmental philosophy has inspired me to challenge myself, stay curious, and keep following my dreams. Under his guidance I have accomplished more then I thought I was able to, diving into the new territory of gender and sustainable design. Thank you for the many thought provoking conversations, critiques, and laughs. I would also like to thank professor P. Steven Sangren, my minor committee member from the department of Anthropology, who opened my eyes to a whole new world outside design. Though difficult and intimidating, professor Sangren’s rigorous courses, ANTHR 4429 Anthropology and Psychoanalysis and ANTHR 4426 Ideology and Social Production, pushed me to grapple with theoretical investigations of social formation. These ideas ultimately strengthened my understanding of gender studies, which provided a foundational theory for my qualitative study. I greatly appreciate all the time and energy you contributed to making my graduate work possible. I additionally would like to thank professor Maureen Waller from the department of Policy Analysis and Management for her course PAM 6040 Qualitative, Survey, & Mixed Methods Approaches to Policy Research, which provided me with the skills and knowledge to design a study of this magnitude with no prior experience in qualitative research. Also, many thanks to professor Leah Scolere, for keeping my creative passions alive while I took a hiatus from design to work on this project. v I must also thank all of the participants of this study for so generously lending your time and opinions. Your interest in my work has been humbling and I enjoyed learning about sustainable design from each and every one of you. Next, my family—Mom, Dad, Emma, Gram, and Griffin—you have been such an amazing source of love, support, and encouragement over the past 23 years of my life. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. I am eternally grateful. I must also acknowledge my good friend Juliana, for many long talks during hard times, and for introducing me to the concept of awareness, through Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peace Is Every Step. This has been a guiding principle for me as I have embarked upon a spiritual journey, and has helped to clarify my position within the world. Additionally, both Pam Pressman and Ekhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, have helped me turn inwards, observe, and come to a new understanding of how I want to lead my life (knowing that I already posses the key to my essential peace and happiness). I also want to thank Andrew for supporting this journey and joining me in pursuit of the ego-less self. Lastly, to all the people (family, friends, teachers, mentors) who continually believe in me even when I don’t, I appreciate you so much. I am the luckiest to be surrounded by such love. vi T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Biographical Sketch……………………………………………………………………… iii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………. v Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………… vii List of Figures………………………………………………………………..................... x List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………... xi Chapter One: Introduction……………………………………………………………… 1 1.1 Introduction 2 Chapter Two: History of the Civilization/ Nature Dualism 6 2.1 The Civilization/ Nature Dualism 7 2.2 Roots of the Primary Dualism 14 2.2.1 Desire for Autonomy 14 2.2.2 Fear of Nature 16 2.2.3 The Mind/ Body Dualism 18 Chapter Three: Perpetuation of the Civilization/ Nature Dualism through 23 Architecture 3.1 Architecture as an Expression of the Primary Dualism 24 3.2 Roots of the Primary Dualism in Architecture 26 3.2.1 Desire for Autonomy in Architecture 26 3.2.2 Fear of Nature in Architecture 31 3.2.3 The Mind/Body Dualism in Architecture 32 Chapter Four: The Secondary Dualism: Women as Nature, Men as Civilization 36 4.1 Women as Nature, Men as Civilization 37 4.2 Ecofeminist Analysis of the Secondary Dualism 43 4.2.1 Cultural Ecofeminism- A Difference Perspective 44 4.2.2 Social Ecofeminism- A Non-Dualistic Perspective 47 Chapter Five: Male and Female Architecture: Challenging the Dominant 51 Architectural Paradigm 5.1 The Male Paradigm of Architecture 52 5.2 Women in Architecture 60 vii Chapter Six: Methodology 67 6.1 Related Studies 68 6.2 Research Methods 73 6.3 Potential Ethical Issues and Role of Researcher 77 6.4 Preliminary Pilot Study 79 6.5 Qualitative Interview and Analysis 82 Chapter Seven: Results of Qualitative Study 86 7.1 Overview 87 7.2 Overall Perceived Gender Differences 90 7.2.1 Dominant Opinions 93 7.2.2 Perceived Gender Categorizations 99 7.3 Top 5 Average Code Occurrences 112 7.3.1 Sustainable Design Philosophy-