Rethinking ecological citizenship: the role of neighbourhood networks in cultural change

Ecological citizenship is a normative theory that has been used to explain how some individuals lead sustainable lives within the constraints of late capitalism. Bringing citizenship into the discussion of sustainability is generally viewed as valuable, though some perceive the individualistic orientation of ecological citizenship to be a weakness. The varying capacities of individuals and groups to bring about social change have only recently entered discussion of ecological citizenship, largely neglecting the role of collective, cultural shifts in environmental politics. Drawing on ecological citizenship theory and qualitative data, the potential for ecological citizenship theory to incorporate a stronger cultural dimension through greater recognition of informal neighbourhood networks, centred on sustainable consumption, is examined. When ecological citizens engage in an informal neighbourhood-based network, a virtuous circle ensues. This reduces barriers to sustainable living in the neighbourhood, as well as deepening members’ commitment to citizenship at the local level. In the case of an informal neighbourhood network, ecological citizens are more potent agents of cultural change as a collective than as individuals. Keywords: sustainable consumptionecological citizenshipnetworksneighbourhoodcultural change Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Jayson Maclean for his generous help in revising an earlier draft. Three anonymous reviewers also provided comments that greatly strengthened this manuscript. Finally, I gratefully recognise the financial support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada. Notes 1. Pseudonyms are used to protect participants' identities. 2. Community leagues are a neighbourhood-level governance structure that seeks to build and maintain community by offering physical space for neighbours to meet (e.g. swimming pool, skating rink) as well as events for neighbours to get to know one another.