Localizing environmental ethics : religio-social constructions of the environment at the Ganges River

Abstract

This study engages the conversations between religion and ecology, and contributes two points to this conversation. Firstly, that the environment is as much constructed as it is apprehended, and religio-social understandings influence interactions with the environment. Secondly, environmental concerns are best addressed within their local contexts. These points are examined against the situation of the Ganges River in India. This study works primarily with academic texts, science-based reports, government reports, news articles, and other media in an attempt to recover and reengage topics such as pollution, purity, and womanhood to speak to the ecological crisis. Theories of constructivism are applied to environmental issues. The Ganges is employed as a case study that is used to illustrate a specific instance where environmental constructions have an important impact upon environmental concerns. Religio-social constructions of the Ganges are engaged as an example of the influence of these constructs on environmental issues.