Europa and Gaia: towards an ecofeminist perspective in integration theory

Special Issue: JCMS Special Issue 2016: Another Theory is Possible: Dissident Voices in Theorising Europe. Guest Editors: Ian Manners and Richard WhitmanAbstract:
In this article I argue that a key part of the re-thinking of integration theory should be an engagement with green political theory and political economy, so that the field can speak to the major real-life issues of our time such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the transition to a sustainable way of life.
My focus is particularly on ecofeminism, which I argue helps regional integration scholars ask important questions that need to be more central to our work, and on Gaia theory, which I argue provides the ontological analysis to legitimize such a shift in theoretical perspective. As an illustration of how a green approach to integration theory might be undertaken, I use Mary Mellor's ecofeminist work to contribute to the ‘normative turn’ in integration theory.