ESA in the wake of three waves of feminism

Background/Question/Methods

Science both shapes and is shaped by the culture at large. Ecology, for example, has such close ties to environmentalism that the two are frequently confused or conflated. While most ecologists are aware of the impact of the environmental movement on ecological funding and questions, the connections between other social movements and ecology are little discussed. Shifting attitudes towards women, especially over the last century, have had far reaching consequences. This work begins to explore how feminism has influenced ecology and contextualizes the experiences of women in ecology using US historical events and membership data and historical records from the Ecological Society of America (ESA) to build comparative time lines and small case studies.

Results/Conclusions

ESA's origins coincide with the attainment of women's suffrage in the United States. The society then came of age during the environmental and second wave feminist movements of the 1960s and 70s. ESA now exists in a larger culture that by and large recognizes (but does not always practice) gender equity. Throughout its history, ESA has reflected or lagged society at large in terms of gender equity, though support of underrepresented groups through programs like SEEDS demonstrates a commitment to progress.