Between Nature and a Hard Place: Neoliberal Conservatization and the “Nature” of Good Mothering

Canan Tanir, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

In this paper, I focus on the utilization of the concept of ‘nature’ by a group of affluent mothers in Istanbul, Turkey as a universally safe method of protection from health and environment risks. Situating their narratives within the ongoing context of neoliberal conservatization and familial responsibilisation in Turkey, and employing a theoretical framework drawing from debates on neoliberal governmentality and feminist political ecology (FPE) I argue that that invoking nature as a safe alternative against a risky environment reinforces the assignment of care labor to women, and therefore perpetuates the existing gender inequalities that conservative neoliberal government has been relying on. While this analysis highlights how the symbiotic relationship between neoliberalism and conservative morality transpires through quotidian practices it brings into focus that the contingent conceptions of nature/natural operate as a catalyst in this process by reinforcing and propagating gendered stratifications. Although the empirical focus is limited to Turkey, the theoretical lessons drawn from this debate are valuable for reflecting on the specific ways in which neoliberalism necessarily relies on a patriarchal gender order.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 187. Transnationality and Gender II