1st Edition

Feminism, Republicanism, Egalitarianism, Environmentalism Bill of Rights and Gendered Sustainable Initiatives

By Yulia Maleta Copyright 2019
    264 Pages
    by Routledge

    262 Pages
    by Routledge



    This book addresses hegemonic ruling class masculinity and emphasized femininity within renewables organisational governance, and critiques Anglo-Celtic male privilege, as a barrier to women’s leadership participation.



    Primarily using the Australian socio-political context, the author considers the patriarchal control of organisations and renewables governance, and argues that women-led emphasized femininity-resistance strategies can challenge the hegemonic status of ruling elites to create a leadership that is less power oriented, more collaborative and open to change. Utilising detailed interviews with Australian women environmentalists, together with feminist, sociological and social movement theory, whilst considering the historic context of Red Vienna and contemporary political challenges (Brexit, Monarchism etc.), it puts forward an innovative policy framework for an Australian Bill of Rights Act and republican constitutional change.



    Written for academics, activists and policymakers alike, this book offers a unique insight into women’s inequity within patriarchal institutionalist governance. It will be  engaging and inspiring reading for feminist and environmentalist activists and practitioners, in addition to professional associations focussing on gender, justice and environmental change. Academics and postgraduates in Gender Studies, Ecofeminism, Sociology and Organisational Studies will also find the book of key interest in its interdisciplinary discussions of Sustainable Scientific-Technological Development Initiatives (SSTDI) and feminism in an Australian political context.

    Contents

    Acknowledgements

    Part 1. Feminism, Republicanism, Egalitarianism and Environmentalism.

    1. Introduction. Envisioning an Australian Republican-Constitutional change and Bill of Rights Act.
      1. Aspirations for an Australian Republic and Bill of Rights’ Initiatives
      2. My research project: Qualitative design and a snapshot of participants
        1. Conceptualising my 6 groups
        2. Research procedure and Design
        3. Demographics: A sociological snapshot of participants
        4. My Groups
          1. Group 1- The Australian Greens
          2. Group 2- eNGOs
          3. Group 3- Grassroots organisations
          4. Group 4- Academic activists/advocates

      3. Discussion
      4. An introductory insight to empirical themes
      5. Emphasized femininity resistance to patriarchal institutionalisation.
      6. Feminist agentic leadership competence within environmentalism

      7. Gender performativity, political agency and the identity of the subject
      8. Gendered representations and renewable energy equity programs
      9. Conceptualising a patriarch within patriarchy: Women’s economic independence
      10. EEO gaps and meritocracy
      11. Women with disabilities at work

      Conclusion.

    2. What a Bill of Rights should achieve?
      1. A human-rights framework and (in)equity/(in)justice Initiatives
      2. Women’s Renewables Technological Leadership Initiative and Indigenous Treaty
      3. Critique of conservativeness within Australian sociopolitical contexts
      4. An anti-war ethos and peace-making model: WW & SE solutions

      Conclusion.

    3. ‘Red Vienna’: a viable Republican model?
      1. Red Viennese Republicanism: Social democracy for all classes?
      2. Intersections of Republicanism with Feminism.
      3. Conclusion. The fall of Red Vienna.

    4. Brexit and ‘WASPishness as the antithesis’.
      1. Hereditary elitism: a counterpoint towards egalitarianism?
      2. A replication of Anglo male middle class privilege
      3. Divorcing the monarchy
      4. Envisioning a peacemaking sociopolitical model
      5. "‘WASP’ishness" within neo-liberal democracies

      Conclusion.

      Part 11. The ‘boys club’ and emphasized femininity resistance.

    5. The gendered nature of the elite: ‘The boys club’ and ruling class masculinity within renewables organisational governance.
      1. A thematic overview
      2. ‘The boys club’ within Australian politics
      3. Discussion
      4. Greens protest voice for change
      5. Resisting ‘a boys club’: Grassroots participatory socioecological democracy
      6. Discussion
      7. Resisting ‘a boys club’ and glass ceilings within academia
      8. Discussion
      9. Resisting ‘the boys club’ and gender differences in eNGOs
      10. Recognising/resisting egoism and otherness
      11. Discussion

      Conclusion.

    6. Gender tokenism on climate panels.
      1. Women as token members on climate panels
      2. Discussion
      3. Gender barrier: Men taking credit for the work of women
      4. Discussion

      Conclusion.

      Part 111. Emphasized femininity as an agentic performance

    7. An agentic performative multi-skills-set within environmentalism.
      1. Communicational skills: written and oral prowess
      2. Discussion
      3. Scientific competence: a technical-intellectual framing of change
      4. Academic scientific expertise
      5. To make a difference
      6. Social competence and affinity for the human/nonhuman
      7. Egalitarian resistance to egoism and ruling elites
      8. Constructing performativity: ‘We [women] need to change’
      9. Discussion
      10. Empathy as agentic: constructivist/essentialist dichotomies
      11. Discussion

      Conclusion.

    8. Physical competence and civil disobedience.
      1. ‘…You can’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty or have good nails…’
      2. Competitive, tough performative femininities
      3. Discussion
      4. Radical performative femininities: Civil disobedience
      5. Conservative performative femininities: aspirations for social change
      6. Discussion

      Conclusion.

    9. Age as a barrier/enabler. Older and Younger women’s agentic resistance.
      1. Framing Women’s Liberation: Women as technicians, men as scientists
      2. Chauvinism, misogyny and sexism within academia
      3. Mocking the sexualised performativity of male bosses
      4. Grassroots collectives: Older and younger women’s lead
      5. Cultural-ageist dimensions framing emphasized feminine constructivism
      6. Discussion

      Conclusion.

    10. Activism as egalitarian and anti-hierarchical.
      1. Egalitarianism as an enabler
      2. A grassroots-egalitarian approach to eNSMs/eSMOs
      3. Intersections of bureaucracy, hierarchy and patriarchy
      4. Discussion.

      Conclusion.

    11. Indigenous Women’s Leadership: Envisioning an Indigenous Treaty.
      1. Barbara’s retrospection: ‘a very feminine caring, nurturing, mother earth angle’
      2. Discussion.

      Conclusion.

      Part 1V. Conclusion to Book.

    12. Conclusion. Emphasized femininity/hegemonic masculinity and constructivism/essentialism.
      1. My Bill of Rights Act in action: an evolutionary framework
      2. Women-led renewable development Initiatives
      3. A pervasive ‘boys club’ within environmentalist executive hierarchies
      4. My Acts Initiatives’ modelling of merit and competence
      5. An agentic performative multi-skills-sets: Emphasized resistance to tokenism
      6. Sustainability energy programs and empowering quotas
      7. Envisioning greater agency for women and grassroots citizenry
      8. Discussion

      Conclusion.

    13. Conclusion. Republican ‘Red Vienna’: an inspirational feminist model of egalitarian governance.
      1. Women’s performativity as research scientists, not technicians
      2. Patriarchy, still a barrier
      3. The Federal Republic of Austria: a viable contemporary model?
      4. A new model: One Head of State
      5. Sovereignty, democratic egalitarianism and sustainable economics
      6. Brexit and the Monarchy
      7. My 6 groups’ scientific-technical leadership of WW & SE solutions
      8. Connecting my Bill of Rights to an Indigenous Treaty framework.

    Conclusion.

    Index

    Biography

    Dr. Yulia Maleta’s research addresses gender identity, sustainable technological development and qualitative methodologies within the frame of sociopolitical NSMs. She has a PhD in social sciences, and has contributed to reputable interdisciplinary peer-reviewed publications, including Journal of Sociology, Third Sector Review and Journal of International Women’s Studies.