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Research article2021Peer reviewedOpen access

Seeing the Quiet Politics in Unquiet Woods: A Different Vantage Point for a Future Forest Agenda

Arora-Jonsson, Seema; Pierce Colfer, Carol J.; Gonzalez-Hidalgo, Marien

Abstract

We address two aspects of forest lives-violence and care-that are central to forest outcomes but often invisible in mainstream discussions on forests. We argue that questions of violence and care work in forests open up debates about what forests are, who defines them, and how. We draw primarily on feminist work on forestry, violence, and care to examine the gendered nature of forest conflicts and the 'quiet politics' of resistance to violence grounded in the everyday work of care that are crucial to understanding forests and their governance. We show how varied practices of resistance to violence and injustice are grounded in cooperative action of care and are an intrinsic part of shaping and regenerating forests. We highlight the importance of close attention to seemingly mundane actions rooted in people's daily lives and experiences that shape forests.

Keywords

Forestry; Gender; Care; Violence; Everyday politics; Forest communities

Published in

Human Ecology
2021, Volume: 49, number: 3, pages: 297-308
Publisher: SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS

      SLU Authors

    • Associated SLU-program

      Nature experiences and health

      Sustainable Development Goals

      Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
      Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
      Reduce inequality within and among countries

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Forest Science
      Gender Studies
      Globalization Studies

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-021-00233-0

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112557