Dahl, Emmy | Sveden

Emmy Dahl is a PhD Candidate at the Department for thematic studies: Technology and Social Change, at L,inköping University in Sweden since March 2008. Her PhD. work is based on an association with VTI, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.

Her thesis is involved in understanding the intersections of masculinities, mobilities and sustainability. She is interested in how gender relations are affected and reconstructed when sustainability becomes increasingly important. Her focus is particularly on masculinities. Do new masculinities emerge adopting to the call for more sustainable lifestyles? How do men express resistance, commitment, ignorance and so forth against increased demands on travelling sustainably and take responsibility for climate change? How does resistance, commitment, etc. intersect with various masculinities?

Project at IAS-STS: Men talking about the environment: discursive masculinities in men’s talk about climate change and sustainable travel

The fact that actions such as driving, shopping and travelling abroad contributes to climate change is something that individuals may regard in various ways. Research indicates that individuals’ concern and willingness to adapt their everyday life in order to reduce their impact on climate change might be gendered. Men in Sweden appear to be less worried and in addition travel in a less environmentally-friendly way than women. This article investigates linkages between masculinity and individuals’ views on climate change by analyzing focus group conversations between men. The ways that men make use of or challenge discourses of masculinities when positioning in relation to climate change and sustainable travel is investigated. Three diverse discursive practices are found, each one enabling various positioning regarding individual responsibility for travelling sustainable. Also evident, is that a discourse about men’s affection for cars is both used as well as challenged by men talking about sustainable travel. Some men use this discourse in order to justify their unsustainable travel. Other men use it to position themselves as different kinds of men. Among these, the bicycle is at times constructed as the “new car”. The article contributes with a deepened understanding of men’s reasoning in relation to climate change and sustainable travel. It thus challenges narrow assumptions of men as environmental rouges and masculinity as the main problem.

Selected Publications

Dahl, Emmy (2009), Environmental risks of travelling and constructions of identity. (Resandets miljörisker och identitetskonstruktioner) Dissertation related essay, examined at the Department of Thematic Studies, Technology and Social Change, Linköping University.

Dahl, Emmy (2009), Reviewed conference paper: Creatively committed or burdened with worry? Presented on ”Women’s issues in transportation”, Los Angeles, 27-30 October 2009.

Dahl, Emmy; Henriksson, Malin (2010) Gender dimensions in Swedish municipal planning and crisis management – a research review (Genusdimensionering i svensk kommunal planering och krishantering – en forskningsöversikt), Research review written in a research project run by the VTI, Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute and FOI, Swedish Defence Research Agency.

Lévin, Lena; Dahl, Emmy; Henriksson, Malin (2010), Sustainable gender equality in public transport in the future. Progress report 1a. Rapport from focus groups. (Hållbar jämställdhet i framtidens kollektivtrafik. Lägesrapport 1a. Rapportering från fokusgrupperna). Report written in a research project run by the VTI, Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.