Rebelling for the Decommodification of Bovine Motherhood : Ecofeminist Tendencies in Danish Animal Rights Activism
(2026) In International Explorations in Outdoor and Environmental Education 20. p.123-140- Abstract
This chapter explores how Danish animal rights activists challenge the commodification of female bodies, particularly in dairy production, through narratives of motherhood and care. It examines how activists attempt to educate the public—not only by providing information about how dairy is produced but also by offering alternative frameworks from which to think about human-cow relations. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews and multi-sited observations, the chapter analyzes various activism forms such as performances, public outreach campaigns, and protests at dairy industry events. It is argued that increasing activist mobilization around dairy production facilitates an incipient re-gendering of animal rights activism... (More)
This chapter explores how Danish animal rights activists challenge the commodification of female bodies, particularly in dairy production, through narratives of motherhood and care. It examines how activists attempt to educate the public—not only by providing information about how dairy is produced but also by offering alternative frameworks from which to think about human-cow relations. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews and multi-sited observations, the chapter analyzes various activism forms such as performances, public outreach campaigns, and protests at dairy industry events. It is argued that increasing activist mobilization around dairy production facilitates an incipient re-gendering of animal rights activism by bringing issues of gendered commodification to the forefront of the movement. By combining ecofeminist theory with the analytical approach of ‘boundary work,’ this article explores how a new generation of animal rights activists perform boundary work similar to the ecofeminist tradition. Rather than being outmoded, ecofeminist thought seems revitalized. This way, the article presents an example of what ecofeminist philosophies might look like “in action” today in an animal rights context.
(Less)
- author
- Yndal-Olsen, Naja LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Animal rights activism, Boundary work, Dairy production, Ecofeminism, Veganism
- host publication
- International Explorations in Outdoor and Environmental Education
- series title
- International Explorations in Outdoor and Environmental Education
- volume
- 20
- pages
- 18 pages
- publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105028993068
- ISSN
- 2214-4226
- 2214-4218
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-032-11690-1_9
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 07fbf741-daad-429c-8577-887c70575317
- date added to LUP
- 2026-02-23 15:26:19
- date last changed
- 2026-02-23 15:27:06
@inbook{07fbf741-daad-429c-8577-887c70575317,
abstract = {{<p>This chapter explores how Danish animal rights activists challenge the commodification of female bodies, particularly in dairy production, through narratives of motherhood and care. It examines how activists attempt to educate the public—not only by providing information about how dairy is produced but also by offering alternative frameworks from which to think about human-cow relations. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews and multi-sited observations, the chapter analyzes various activism forms such as performances, public outreach campaigns, and protests at dairy industry events. It is argued that increasing activist mobilization around dairy production facilitates an incipient re-gendering of animal rights activism by bringing issues of gendered commodification to the forefront of the movement. By combining ecofeminist theory with the analytical approach of ‘boundary work,’ this article explores how a new generation of animal rights activists perform boundary work similar to the ecofeminist tradition. Rather than being outmoded, ecofeminist thought seems revitalized. This way, the article presents an example of what ecofeminist philosophies might look like “in action” today in an animal rights context.</p>}},
author = {{Yndal-Olsen, Naja}},
booktitle = {{International Explorations in Outdoor and Environmental Education}},
issn = {{2214-4226}},
keywords = {{Animal rights activism; Boundary work; Dairy production; Ecofeminism; Veganism}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{123--140}},
publisher = {{Springer Science and Business Media B.V.}},
series = {{International Explorations in Outdoor and Environmental Education}},
title = {{Rebelling for the Decommodification of Bovine Motherhood : Ecofeminist Tendencies in Danish Animal Rights Activism}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-11690-1_9}},
doi = {{10.1007/978-3-032-11690-1_9}},
volume = {{20}},
year = {{2026}},
}