i am seeing a lot of posts that are increasingly critical of the ~cottage aesthetic thing on here right now and because it’s a really similar topic to what i’m writing a big paper about right now i wanted to contribute some thoughts:
what it seems to come down to is: when does a romanticization of nature become problematic?
on the one hand, obviously, the choice to live in a city or outside of one is not necessarily moral. so why does this aesthetic trendiness of ~ living in a cabin in the woods and picking flowers ~ sit badly with some of us?
this fetishization of a return to nature is highly reminiscent of thoreau’s entitled isolationism most famously explored in walden. “cabin narratives” such as these typically come from a place of socioeconomic privilege, making them overwhelmingly white & male. they have the tendency to deny what may be the most politically important implications of a sort of agricultural, “natural” rebellion against capitalism: solidarity and community; the sharing of skills, resources, and knowledge; liberation beyond the isolated, privileged individual – ultimately, i would argue, social justice.
we can love nature and want to live in it without being apolitical, naive, isolationists. even an interest in nature that begins on the path of romanticism may lead to an authentic relationship with environmentalism and social justice, which are intrinsically linked. it is vitally important to become aware of land as more than its aesthetic beauty: we need to awaken to its political history, particularly here in america where it has been stolen from indigenous peoples, commodified, and homogenized. as just the tip of the iceberg, here is some basic reading on indigenous epistemology and environmental philosophy i recommend
winona laduke’s “all our relations” – explores native cultures in america, its degradation and revitalization
vine deloria’s “power and place” – formalizes a non-european natural epistemology founded in indigenous practices
kevin deluca and anne demo’s “imagining nature and erasing class and race” – unpacking the socioeconomic implications of the european patriarchal conception of wilderness
bonus round: “urban homesteading” by k. ruby blume and rachel kaplan explores a variety of practical ways we can incorporate sustainability into our communities towards a path of mutual empowerment
so i don’t know if any of this is meaningful at all to any of you but i have a lot of thoughts on the subject! make your homesteading endeavors political, active, communal, and awake. thanks 4 readin if ya made it this far
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
kaledo-art
andulkaphoto
jacobvanloon
theartofmadeline
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