Considering the Irish Greens

Recent debates concerning Anthropology s engagement
with environmentalism contend that an invigorated
approach is needed to strengthen the presence of the
discipline in this field. This work aims to discuss
certain issues raised by these debates. Namely, that
an anthropological approach to culture, discourse
and ideology offers the study of environmentalism a
perspective not readily afforded by other
disciplines. It is an ethnographic study of the
Irish Green Party based on twelve months of
fieldwork conducted between 1996 and 1997 and its
focus is the creation and maintenance of identity
within the Party during this period. Particular
attention is paid to the socio-cultural, historical
and political context in which the Irish Green Party
has evolved and the way in which these contextual
factors affect the Party s members perceptions of
their role as environmental activists. The work
discusses ways in which members of the Party came to
be involved in environmental activism and presents
them as intellectuals participating in a distinctive
intellectual community within the sphere of
environmentalism.

Autorentext

Michael O'Kane grew up in rural Victoria and was a Carpenter and Joiner before turning his attention to academia. He received his PhD in anthropology from Monash University in 2004. He lives with his partner Erin and two children, Felix and Patrick, and is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Klappentext

Recent debates concerning Anthropology's engagement with environmentalism contend that an invigorated approach is needed to strengthen the presence of the discipline in this field. This work aims to discuss certain issues raised by these debates. Namely, that an anthropological approach to culture, discourse and ideology offers the study of environmentalism a perspective not readily afforded by other disciplines. It is an ethnographic study of the Irish Green Party based on twelve months of fieldwork conducted between 1996 and 1997 and its focus is the creation and maintenance of identity within the Party during this period. Particular attention is paid to the socio-cultural, historical and political context in which the Irish Green Party has evolved and the way in which these contextual factors affect the Party's members perceptions of their role as environmental activists. The work discusses ways in which members of the Party came to be involved in environmental activism and presents them as intellectuals participating in a distinctive intellectual community within the sphere of environmentalism.