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Homosocial stewardship : The opposed and unpaid care work of women water stewards in West Virginia, USA

Caretta, Martina Angela LU orcid (2020) In Ecology and Society 25(2). p.1-7
Abstract

The identity of people living in Central Appalachia is tightly connected with water. Because of the threats to water resources due to coal mining, and most recently, hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas pipeline projects, citizens have formed several nonprofit organizations to preserve or restore rivers and watersheds. Notably, women head the biggest, state-wide, most active and visible of these organizations. Grounded in 25 in-depth interviews with female water stewards in West Virginia, this article examines nurturing approaches, financial impediments, and opposition that make water stewardship in West Virginia essentially homosocial care work. Expanding on the knowledge-agency-care stewardship framework, this article contributes to... (More)

The identity of people living in Central Appalachia is tightly connected with water. Because of the threats to water resources due to coal mining, and most recently, hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas pipeline projects, citizens have formed several nonprofit organizations to preserve or restore rivers and watersheds. Notably, women head the biggest, state-wide, most active and visible of these organizations. Grounded in 25 in-depth interviews with female water stewards in West Virginia, this article examines nurturing approaches, financial impediments, and opposition that make water stewardship in West Virginia essentially homosocial care work. Expanding on the knowledge-agency-care stewardship framework, this article contributes to the under-researched dimension of care. It also suggests that the analytical lens of homosociality is fruitful to understand the gender and power dynamics that hamper water stewardship in WV. Finally, it challenges the renewed stereotyping and essentializing of Appalachia through the representation of women as passive, ignorant, bound to their homes, victims of overdoses, sexual trafficking, and violent marital relationships by showing how, against material and societal odds, women persist in their care for water.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Homosociality, Stewardship, Water, Watershed organizations, West Virginia, Women
in
Ecology and Society
volume
25
issue
2
article number
29
pages
7 pages
publisher
The Resilience Alliance
external identifiers
  • scopus:85087147772
ISSN
1708-3087
DOI
10.5751/ES-11555-250229
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
0650746c-feba-44f7-9dbd-3ac357477bf5
date added to LUP
2021-01-13 14:26:01
date last changed
2022-04-19 03:38:33
@article{0650746c-feba-44f7-9dbd-3ac357477bf5,
  abstract     = {{<p>The identity of people living in Central Appalachia is tightly connected with water. Because of the threats to water resources due to coal mining, and most recently, hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas pipeline projects, citizens have formed several nonprofit organizations to preserve or restore rivers and watersheds. Notably, women head the biggest, state-wide, most active and visible of these organizations. Grounded in 25 in-depth interviews with female water stewards in West Virginia, this article examines nurturing approaches, financial impediments, and opposition that make water stewardship in West Virginia essentially homosocial care work. Expanding on the knowledge-agency-care stewardship framework, this article contributes to the under-researched dimension of care. It also suggests that the analytical lens of homosociality is fruitful to understand the gender and power dynamics that hamper water stewardship in WV. Finally, it challenges the renewed stereotyping and essentializing of Appalachia through the representation of women as passive, ignorant, bound to their homes, victims of overdoses, sexual trafficking, and violent marital relationships by showing how, against material and societal odds, women persist in their care for water.</p>}},
  author       = {{Caretta, Martina Angela}},
  issn         = {{1708-3087}},
  keywords     = {{Homosociality; Stewardship; Water; Watershed organizations; West Virginia; Women}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{1--7}},
  publisher    = {{The Resilience Alliance}},
  series       = {{Ecology and Society}},
  title        = {{Homosocial stewardship : The opposed and unpaid care work of women water stewards in West Virginia, USA}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-11555-250229}},
  doi          = {{10.5751/ES-11555-250229}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}