Ecological Communication and Feminist Discourse
Summary
Ecological communication and feminist discourse intersect in their shared concern with power, representation and the relationships between humans and more-than-human life. At its core, ecological communication examines how language, media and symbols shape public understanding of environmental processes, risks and values. Feminist discourse brings into focus the gendered dimensions of environmental knowledge and action, revealing how patriarchal structures influence who speaks for nature, whose experiences count and how care is articulated. Together, these fields explore ecofeminist critiques of dualisms that separate mind from body, human from non-human and masculine from feminine, while advancing intersectional approaches that link environmental justice to questions of race, class, sexuality and colonial history. Practical applications range from community-led conservation campaigns that centre women’s voices to media analyses that deconstruct gendered environmental narratives in film, television and policy debates. Globally, ecofeminist communication strategies have informed grassroots activism, influenced participatory mapping of ecosystem services and shaped transnational dialogues on climate justice.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Ecological Communication and Feminist Discourse publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in ecological communication and feminist discourse across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ecological communication: The study of how messages about ecological processes and environmental issues are produced, disseminated and interpreted.
Ecofeminism: A theoretical perspective linking the exploitation of nature with the oppression of women, emphasising shared structures of domination.
Nondual ontology: A philosophical stance rejecting strict separations between categories such as human/non-human or mind/body, favouring relational interconnectedness.
Eco-anxiety: A form of psychological distress stemming from awareness of environmental degradation and climate change.
Binary oscillation: A rhetorical device that deliberately shifts between opposing categories to undermine fixed dualisms and foster complexity.
References
- Why I Hesitate to Have a Child: Eco-Anxiety and Reproduction Concerns. Business & Society (2023).
- “Women need not apply”: Sylvia Earle, binary oscillations, and the ecofeminist rhetoric of Mission Blue. Feminist Media Studies (2022).
- Deep Sustainability as Care: A Nondual Approach to Environmental Communication. Environmental Communication (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.