This is such an interesting video! Most of my female friends are concerned with sustainability, and most of my male friends don't give it much thought. However, my male friends wear the same clothes for years, buy food in bulk, and buy electronics used. So I think men sometimes do a lot of sustainable things without even knowing its sustainable because zero waste is advertised as a thing you do by SHOPPING- a stereotypical women’s activity- and having a strong connection to nature
Yes! Absolutely love this insight and I totally agree. There are so many differences angles and reasons for sustainable behaviour, and what happens when we call it sustainability rather than something else. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Unfortunately, a lot of the men I know personally are obsessed with buying new technology and appliances and eat a lot of red meat and animal products....but are under the impression that women consume more, even though a lot of the women I know generally consume less, are vegatarian or vegan, and are more into thrifting.
@@360shadowmoon Idk could it be... that the women you spend time with, are the type of people who are more like you, because you chose them because of that, and the men are the type of people who more just happen to be in your life? I know for most women, most of their friends are women, and the men in their lives are there because of family association or romantic interest. I could be wrong, but I think this sort of thing could skew anecdotal experience's validity to represent people in your community.
@@raapyna8544 I mean, this is true for everyone. I don’t claim that my experience is representative, but a counter example to the generalization that women over consume and men don’t.
I have a male friend who suffers from toxic masculinity to the point where he refuses to carry groceries if they are in a reusable bag, so in my experience eco gender gap does definitely exist and I personally think it is closely tied to both toxic masculinity and traditional gender norms as a whole. This friend of mine also stopped riding his bike to work when a female colleague pointed out how healthy and eco-friendly it was, and makes a huge point out of the fact that he has only one trash can and no recycling bins. His struggle do be real and is obviously rooted in much bigger issues, but I have yet to figure out what exactly would be a ”masculine enough way” of looking at sustainability that could push more men to join the climate fight! I truly cannot fathom someone so fragile in their existance that they’d rather watch the planet die than bite the bullet and do something about it.
@@janetstonerook4552 I unfortunately don’t have a choice due to several reasons, including us working together. His toxic masculinity stems from severe religious and childhood trauma, it’s not my place to tell his story but I feel it’s important to note he and many other men didn’t choose it. While I did do him dirty by highlighting only his worst moments, he has come a long way in the years we’ve known each other. The instances I mention happened 5+ years ago, again I just wanted to say the eco gender gap is real and is a very important topic!
I don't see anything to do with masculinity. It looks to me that there's a petty squabble between you and he's just trolling you knowing how much these things would bug you.
As a man myself. I did sometimes find myself hesitating when it comes to switching for more sustainable hygienic products. Asking myself question like: what would the cashier say, what would people in my circle think about it? Although in the end i ended not really giving a damn, but I think I can understand when it comes to other guys who actually would prefer to stay away from a more sustainable alternative(for whatever the product may be) simply to maintain that "masculine look". In which, many brands are doing a great disservice to the cause by making it look like it's a only a woman thing, as you mentioned. Kinda similar to how the video game industry had been for quite a while.
I'm so hype for this conversation. This is one of those things that is so obvious that you walk right past it; like, hiding in plain sight?! It's so cool that she came with all this data to back it up and that people have already been tracing this for years. Meanwhile, it explains so much in terms of how shame can be used to prevent individuals from taking steps to be sustainable or even from just talking about it with people whose opinions they value. Like: Why doesn't this matter (to you)? Don't you think it should? ... Afraid to lose respect for the person maybe even more so than being shut down. & I love that you compared it to gaming. That's totally the icing to this whole piece.
My dad was defined as frugal not low waste. Lights were low and there was no waste in our house. Yes my dad made sure the car ran and rode a bike to work. He taught me to take short showers. We also bought second hand and if there was something wrong with the shoes. He wouldn't call himself eco but define himself as frugal. Good topic.....thanks
Similar experience here! My dad is frugal, has his own allotment, buys in bulk, probably hasn't bought anything new clothing wise in YEARs etc. yet is a climate change denier 😵💫 I probably am able to navigate the climate denier factor when he's 'eco' in many other ways he doesn't realise.
Frugality is much better to the environment than just buying "green" alternative products to continue wasteful behaviours. Second hand cloths vs fancy eco clothes, taking the bus vs buying a tesla etc. Make being a cheapskate cool!
This was so fab - I actually watched it a few days ago but came back to say some of your points are STILL IN MY HEAD and it gave me so much to chew on, thank you. Also those sources in the description - wowza! x
I hope you enjoy today's video! All timestamps are in the description so you can skip between the information if you want to, and all references are also listed for those of you want to read more !! Immy
I think this topic is interesting because this is recent in Finland. Until a few years ago, the Green party was dominated by men. Now it has turned around. Men write in papers asking, why has the Green party failed in speaking to men, because most of their representatives are women. I think the eco lifestyle movement might be part of this. It used to be 'cool' to be an environmentalist when it was sort of rebellious and radical. When women came along with their lifestyle blogs, it lost the edge, or something like that? The old 'greenpeace activist who attacks oil raft and goes to jail in Russia' is a man. The Extinction rebellion activists who block a road in the capital are women, and they are judged for 'making the environmental movement look bad'. My take on it is they 'make it look bad' because they're women.
I'm a PhD student studying consumer behavior and was impressed with your lit review- I've read a lot of these papers for seminars. You did a great job summarizing the research! Another point of concern within these papers is the lack of controls for political affiliation. Environmentally friendly behaviors are often associated with liberal ideology, in the US. Women are more likely, on average to be liberal. Although some of the papers you bring up try to control for political affiliation, I remember being concerned about their methodology across the board. It should also be noted that it can be difficult to collect data on gender non-confirming individuals, since a lot of consumer behavior research use student samples. Getting a solid number of trans participants can be difficult within this context. Although you can specifically recruit trans and non-binary people, doing so removes some of the power of random sampling. If you do manage to recruit enough trans people to conduct research, and find statistically significant results, you then have to battle with journals in order to publish your data. Business academia can be politically polarized. I've been told it's a lot harder to get research looking at any gender effects published, and that it's almost impossible to publish research looking at trans and non-binary at this point. I'm still working a couple of research ideas, but my understanding is that these issues aren't caused by lack of concern from researchers, but larger systemic issues in journals
Hi kcoy, thanks so much for your comment! I really appreciate you bringing in the idea of political affiliation as it is not something I considered. Although, now that you say it, I don't know how I couldn't! Thank you also for your explanation of the collection of data on gender-conforming individuals. I don't know anything about the trials and tribulations of actually conducting research so this was really useful for me to learn about. once again, thank you for taking the time to write your comment, it's so helpful to me.
Oh Immy… this is a 🔥 topic for me… I just knew you’d broach it one day. Today is the day!! “Women’s work” historically and traditionally has included cooking, needlework, housekeeping, and child rearing… these are all valuable responsibilities but this term is so last century. Saving the planet ain’t got nothin’ to do with gender… we’re all in this together… and I cannot wait to hear what you have to share with us today on this topic. I love that you have included time stamps, but tbh… you won’t find me skipping over any of the info/discussion in this video. I am really looking forward to the Live Chat/Premiere! Bring it on my friend!! 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary💕💪
Ah yes I’ve been working on it for a while, with my sister who is very smart! We wanted to do the topic justice! Thanks for being here and watching, it’s always a pleasure to chat in the live.
@@SustainablyVegan Just thought I’d say that… Over the years you have briefly made mention of your sister. She sounds like one heck of a dog-lovin’, bicycle repairing, uber-fit, highly intelligent and multi-faceted individual. You are so very fortunate to have her in your life. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary
I think as a woman, we are so often made to feel guilty for our place in the environment. That because we “consume more” we should be more ethical about it in practice. Perhaps men feel less guilt because they don’t necessarily need to consume as much, thus they don’t have to feel as bad about it. I’m being hypothetical, but I think men, in general, feel less guilty for their existences.
Just because men don't buy more stuff, doesn't mean thex consume less. Driving a car, traveling more, buying tech merch are all categories where men are bigger consumers
My dad fixed my bicycle tyre the other day. 😇 His eco-heroism is being supportive of me, his eco-geek daughter who didn't become an engineer like he wanted and instead attends activist meetings and government workshops on zoom, rides a bike to lead scouts meetings, and grows trees in pots.
As an Asian, I think in China, there are these factors: 1) Good transportation system. 2) Buying groceries based on price, not where they come from, so if it's cheaper, people will buy. 3) I dunno about eco-friendly products, might be more expensive. 4) If recycling is convenient, people will recycle when possible.
My ex-boyfriend refused to buy second hand clothing, even him being unemployed and having no money. Also, he always claims to be eco consious, but push came to shove, he barely did the minimum (no recycling, eating pre-made and fastfood always), but he didn't mind when I did everything. But then again, he was also extremely lazy. He even takes the car to the shop around the corner, just to get a pizza and a drink... So for him, it was definitly not wanting to put in the effort. Something else that might be worth considering: there are a lot more ppl single these days. Women need to pick up more 'masculin' tasks (getting the car checked or recycling and putting out the bins and so on). I do wonder if the male singles pick up on more 'female' tasks as well? (more ecofriendly cleaning supplies for example...) ?
Men need to clean first. I'm lucky to know some good ones but many of them are used to mommy cleaning up after them... So yes. We need to stop gendering roles and all be adults who fix tires, clean, and recycle 😄
@@alphamail8974 Ive seen my dad clean and cook in the house countless times, and wouldn't even consider him feminine. He fixes the car as well. I agree its just basic adult skills, and gender shouldn't matter in that. I personally dont have any skill related to cars because I never owned one and never had economy to afford one (after inheriting some money from my grandma I could maybe barely afford to buy a decent car, but not maintain it with all the long term costs like fuel, repairs, car tax and car insurance etc) and I also suspect I dont really have it in me to be a good driver (since my dad has pointed out many times I have trouble keeping track of many things at once, and I dont disagree). But I do most of the rest like house chores, cooking, going to work and managing my economy. All skills you need to function on your own living by yourself, should really just be considered basic life skills and not gendered
This was incredibly well researched and explained. Thanks for putting in the work on this, Immy. As a man working as an environmental activist and leader, anecdotally I’ve noticed no overall gender gap in volunteers, but there does seem to be a big age gap that pertains to gender - we have almost no young (under 50 years old) male volunteers in the organizations I serve with. Most of the men who sign up are retirees. Also I have noticed a huge gender gap in content. Almost all the sustainable content I consume here on TH-cam is created by women. It’s very hard to find sustainability or simple living oriented channels made by men. There are more in the minimalist / low consumption space however, though still there seems to be a gender gap there as well. As a vegan, it’s also lonely and often alienating being a man, and I have only ever had men openly question me and give me puzzled looks when I tell them I am a vegan. Thanks to athletic audience targeted films like Game Changers and male vegan athlete influencers like Rich Roll, this is slowly changing as they become aware of the health, longevity and performance related benefits.
Hey Justin, I really appreciated reading your perspective on these topics. Your observations and experiences are interesting and they shed valuable insight into this nuanced conversation. Thanks for sharing. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary
One area I find overrepresented by men is permaculture, regenerative agriculture, forestry, etc. Would be a good place to be connected with more men that share environmental values
@@AlicedeTerre This is an interesting point. As it's been noted that women tend to be more "people" oriented and gravitate towards jobs that tend to be more nurturing and about helping people, while men tend to be more "things" oriented and gravitate towards jobs that tend to be more focused on solving technical problems.
Thanks Justin - really interesting to hear your perspective and for sharing that extra dimension with the age observation. It's great that the films you mention are changing things but it's a shame if male vegans are only 'acceptable' if they are doing it for athletic performance.
Hi Immy. I want to thank you as a genderless person. There is a lack of information and recognition for non-binary people in researchs. I am happy that you recognised this aspect of eco-gender gap issue.
I can definitively see this thing of men being less susceptible to act in sustainable ways if their massculinity feels fragile of threatened, at least at an anecdotal level. In my friend group, my boyfriend is the person that is the most concerned about the environnement besides me. He was the one in our couple to suggest we go vegan, always takes bags to the grocery store, pays attention to the packaging, ethics and provenance when he is choosing food options. He buys very little stuff and wears his clothes until they fall apart. He refuses to have a car for environnemental reasons. He is also the one man in our friend group that never feels threatened by being associated with feminine things. He identifies as bi and experimented with occasional cross dressing and makeup as a younger guy. Right now he looks like a tall beefy dude because he does a lot of weight lifting, yet he never felt ashamed of using an item because it has "feminine branding" such as wearing a reusable mask with flower patterns or a pink lunchbox: he'll generally use whatever is available, sustainable and practical. He doesn't really care what people may think about it and finds it pretty ridiculous. In his own words: if a guy need to eat a steak to prove himself he is a real man he probably has a problem with that in the first place.
Maybe the fact that he's bi has something to do with his behavior. I think bi men's masculinity is on average less fragile than straight men's, which may make it more comfortable for him to act in ways that are considered feminine by other men.
@@marianmeletlidiscrap Yes I would agree in part but I think calling yourself bisexual openly is also a sign that you don't feel threatened in some way. I used to hang out with a lot of guys growing up, and knowing them more closely I was surprised to see how common it was for them to have had some sort of experience with another guy or to have shown interest in another guy at some point. Yet most of them didn't want to call themselves bisexual because there's this stigma that "for girls, bisexual means straight, for guys, bisexual means gay" and also that it diminishes your masculinity in some way. It's actually not just anecdotal either apparently, Kinsey's research confirmed that while it was common to have homosexual experiences and attractions it was not a systematic thing for people to own it as an identity.
@@alexhazydreams Good point. It takes a lot of courage to publicly identify as LGBTQ. I'm asexual and non-binary, but I'm only out to a few people my age (my parents don't know)
@@marianmeletlidiscrap yes it can be hard. And some family /workplace situations can still become dangerous no matter how brave you are unfortunatly.I hope you can feel safe enough to talk about this in your inner circle in the future. I use pan/bi as a label for myself as well and fortunaty enough, I never had to deal with anything that would threaten my safety, but to this day I'm only out to a handful of friends irl. Weirdly enough, I always felt like "why bother", especially with my parents. I "tested the water" as a teen trying to bring up the topic of bisexuality in a conversation and at the time my mother insisted to me that it wasn't a thing, despite having a friend who (her words, not mine) "was straight and then changed her mind and went with a woman then changed her mind and went with a man and then was a lesbian again". I would probably feel different if I was to engage in a long term relationship with a woman and if I wanted my parents to meet her but since it didn't happen and I've been with my current partner for a very long time I feel like passsing as straight saves me a headache a lot of the time. Coming out is way more work than most people imagine.
Interesting topic. Especially intrigued about how men may or may not be as concerned about climate change. Reminds me of my first "eye opener" with being environmentally friendly. I had this job where I had to shut down and sell an entire factory to someone new. When cleaning, I had to go through everything like company materials, binders, computers, garbage, recycling, metals, paper, cardboard, etc and I had to decide if it was garbage, recycling or neither. So I wasn't really environmentally aware before that job, but I definitely made at least a very small impact in how much trash went to the landfill. Not trying to toot my own horn, but I'm glad I learned a thing or two about recycling. Nowadays, at home, my annual trash level is through-the-roof low compared to what it used to be. The idea of gender having to play a role in climate change definitely needs more research. But no matter what sex you are, it's definitely good to limit your trash. Also I have this theory that maybe explains some men, at least me... If I were to say out loud "let's save the earth" then 9 times out of 10 I won't actually do anything about it. Whereas if a "green guilt" trip came upon me and I didn't express my concern verbally about it, there's probably a greater chance of me actually doing something somewhere down the road. This probably has to do more with karma or learning from a mistake in general, but that's how I feel about change in my own life. Thanks for the vid SV. P.S. as a kid I thought Men should be the colour Green and Women should be the colour Blue. :)
I have recently started my eco journey since moving into my first property and being more in control! I must say, when I share my journey with friends and family, the men have been far less receiving! But overall, the reasoning for anyone being dismissive, is because they think it takes more time, effort etc. Which as we all know, isn’t the case! We just need to keep sharing the message! Amazing video Immy, on a great topic!
I recognise the unequality between women and men in sustainability. I am happy to have found a partner who I share most of our views on sustainability with and I would say he got interested before me. He works in construction and his graduation project was on how do use materials more effectively and how to reduce, reuse and recycle construction waste. When I moved to my own place he gave me a zero-waste spack to get me started on a sustainable host. I like that we share our sustainable values as I would say shared values improve a relationship. Very interesting and well researched video!
I've been trying to be more eco-friendly for about 20 years, my whole adult life, and in all honesty I've reached the point where I'm over it. Rich people still burn massive amounts of fuel flying all over the world and motor sport enthusiasts burn gallons of fuel at the track while I angst over a ten minute drive into town. New plastic-wrapped products hit the shelves every day while I scour the supermarkets to find one that has sesame seeds in bulk buy. Health basics like shampoo, soap, and toothpaste tablets ate all more expensive and harder to source when I look for an eco-friendly option, as is clothing. It's all so fucking hard and the majority of the population don't give a shit. I recently moved in with a partner and became a step-mother, and took on part time study as well as full time work. I'm busy and stressed and I just don't have the mental energy anymore. Pulling men into the eco movement isn't enough. We need societal changes that make the eco-friendly choice the easy one, and which penalise the high consumers and the producers of eco-friendly products rather than ordinary people like me. I will add that my partner DOES engage in eco-conscious actions. He recycles, line dries, gardens, cooks at home etc. He's just a bit more relaxed about it than me and it's so much easier
Polly, I hear you and I understand your frustration! It sounds like you have a lot on your plate and you're right that we need fundamental societal changs to tackle this.
I’m defo going to watch this video again and also check out the info cited in the description but… just to add a light moment to a heavy topic… I’ll share this. A friend made me a sign for my fridge… it says “Wild woman at work saving the planet 🌎 Join in or get out of the way cuz we’re getting ‘er done!” It makes me giggle whilst at the same time I feel empowered and energized every time I open my fridge!! I love this type of video Immy and I appreciate all the time, effort, and energy that you have put into your research and documenting it here in today’s video. Intersectionality is paramount, and we’ll all continue to emphasize this! Thank-you, Immy, for all that you do. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary💕🌿💪
Thank you for mentioning that these type of studies tend to leave out those who don’t fall into those binary gender groups. Usually people straight up ignore it. It’s always good to keep in mind that these are group studies. The thing about group studies like this is that they are good to locate possible oroblem/work/attention points in society but were never meant to be applied to an individual. They’re to target groups, for example in education, on an societal scale, and open up conversation, not to further stereotype individual people.
it's so interesting how this highlighs the methodological aspects of researches before concluding anything (this should be the norm, but i mean that we have to always keep in mind HOW that research was made, in what context etc.)
I was discussing this with friends the other day and it's so great to see there's a term for this! I found your video so interesting, thank you for sharing!
The masculine stuff is so spot on. My husband tells me it is so weird that I bring my container to get take away food and could not explain why he thinks this
It would be good if there were more male influencers on line discussing minimalism. I notice the males that are usually discuss it from financial and fitness concepts more often rather than specifics of day to day living choices. None of them seem to discuss responsible disposal of their bodily fluids as do women with their endless suggestions for bidets, washable period underwear and reusable menstrual cups!!!
I'm a research scientist with a background in environmental science and I gotta say, you absolutely nailed it with this video. I may not be a vegan but I'm definitely subscribing to this channel. Thank you very much for this video, more people need to see it. In fact, I even downloaded this video for archival purposes because it's that good.
Listening to a podcast of yours would be divine!! I listened to this while walking to work. It made it that much more thought provoking as I walk past so many different examples of where the waste we create comes from. Another thing to think of is the waste that comes from jobs that are predominantly seen as masculine careers.
Thank you for this discussion! Like with a lot of topics, when conversations about sustainability are more intersectional, you realize just how much we ALL have at stake and truly long-lasting climate solutions are going to have to take into account the complexity, nuance, and inequality of our human systems.
My husband and I are both vegan, buy second hand, speak up etc - without a doubt, he gets a lot more stick for this from males in his life, than I do from people of any gender. He is the sort of personality who digs in when people tease him, so he just gets stronger and more confident in explaining his choices. However, I can completely see many people bowing to peer pressure/taking actions to avoid personal criticisms. I definitely see much of it rooted in toxic masculinity. The vegan comments in particular often revolve around weakness/femininity etc.
Thank you for addressing the lack of research regarding nonbinary and gnc folks! and the limits of the currently available in general, the video wouldn’t have been complete without them :)
What a very well researched, perfectly articulated video! You so often make me think about stuff I had never thought about. Thank you for this discussion, I can see it fuelling my brain for a while yet. Will definitely mention it to my husband too, I wonder what he'll have to say about his own experience
Really interesting and informative 👏 struggling with eco anxiety and being queer at the minute, and how this challenges the people around me. this has helped with perspective and the bigger picture
Great video, very interesting topic! I would love to see more content exploring not just the practical solutions for being more ecofriendly (although those are super important) but also the WHY of things.
This is so interesting. It's definitly something I have observed myself, I mean just take a look at sustainable influencers. I didn't know there was actual research on this and that it wasn’t just an impression I had. There are two possible reason I'd like to ad. For one "zero waste" has not only become synonymous with sustainability, but also with a certain aesthetic. Lots of pastel colours, soft browns, greens and pinks are very popular. Lots of floral patterns. Designs are often soft and flowy. It's a look that communicates careing for the environment pretty well, but it's also something we usually asocciate with feminity. I am female myself, but that aesthetic does not appeal to me at all and I have actually noticed it's become somewhat of a barrier. If I need a new item I have the choice between something that brings me joy, but is made conventionally or something that was made sustainably, but is such an eyesore that I am itching to replace it. I can totally see how that might deter people whos gender expression is not compatible with the "zero waste look". I am really happy that I've noticed more and more people pushing back against that aesthetic. And second, a lot of sustainable habits and swaps are intertwined with domestic tasks, especially when it comes to small individual action and getting started on a sustainable journey. So it's often times up to women to make the sustainable choices. And since women are confronted more often with those choices, we are more aware of the topic.
I have also come to notice that, at least where I live, I put a lot of dependence on my male partner for unsustainable acts then say " well I don't drive a car or ride a motorcycle and so I'm more sustainable than he". The eco gender gap has been hinted in the media here and there and the thought has crossed my mind considering most of my sustainable friends are female, but until this video, I didn't notice that I am a part of this problem. Instead of using my partner as a scapegoat I should educate him about the movement and work with him as well as all my male friends. As I mentioned earlier at least where I live, eco-education is scarce among native community members my partner and his family included. How can I help them change their un eco-friendly habits for healthy ones without being pushy? Especially if they don't have an open mind about new things or are being told what to do?
So, i'm male and i'm invested in sustainability, mainly in my university. I've seen a similar trend there, most people volunteering in student groups that focus on sustainability are women. You raised many relevent points which i agree with, like how sustainability is percieved as feminine (for example abstaining from meat consumption). To that point I'd like to add that this is in my opinion also partly because advertising sustainability towards women is more widespread. Possibly because, as you said, women make more consumption choices in the household. It gives the impression of having the power to change something. People who don't work a full time job are more vulnerable to this kind of advertising. One important point i wanted to raise was what is percieved as sustainability, or at least active sustainability. Some things that men do are sustainable, even though it's not seen as active sustainable work, which would make this eco gap smaller. For example shopping for clothing, where men tend to buy less clothing than women. Or a frugal lifestyle.
This is so interesting, thak you uvery much! From my perspective (queer, russian, vegan, feminist, in my 20-s), queer community, feminist community, vegan community and enviromentalist community is almost the same people. Members of each of this community, exept some religion-related vegans, are tend to care more about other topics in this list, then average citisen. My second thought is about ecomomic position in relaton to green behaviour. Queers are more likely to be poor due to systemic stigmatisation. Being activist on any topic in autocracy leads to financial problems (fines, job loses and so on), making more green behaviour less available.
Very good point regarding systematic discrimination and wage gaps. I hope the world is treating you kindly, with love from a fellow queer, 20-something vegan 🤘✨
This is so interesting, thanks a lot for all your in-depth work and being nuanced through the entire video. A topic that you understandably did not touch on in this time frame, but is worth investigating, is eco-ableism. Meaning that disabled people more often than not (mostly due to being poor) have a way smaller carbon footprint, but are more easily harmed by climate change and are also often judged in the eco community because they need disposable products in order to stay alive.
What a great video essay! Thanks for all the work you do to bring us these nuanced conversations. I think this topic is also interesting when considering movements as a whole which are historically dominated by women & other non-men genders but are often presented by male figure heads in media/news outlets. Generally it would be great (as you've mentioned) for society to embrace queer theory and move about the world more freely without judgment from those with more privilege/status than ourselves.
This was a very interesting video. I never even heard of the eco-gender gap. You gave me something new to research and learn about! Thank you! Really enjoyed this video
I loved this video, thank you for making it - very insightful and interesting! I would also recommend listening to Earthling Ed's podcast episode about Meat & Masculinity - it is very eye-opening as he discusses the perceived link between eating meat and being masculine and why is that.
I loved this video. I have thought about this much and I think it is considered unmanly to *care* a lot. Most men I grew up with where really embarrased when they had to admit that they really care about something - and I as a trans guy often even felt dysphoria in situations where I was passionate because that is weirdly attributed to femininity. I was socialized and raised to be a girl tho - so I was taught to be responsible for the household and for other family members and this has always caused me discomfort because I do care a lot but at the same time I don't want to be seen caring a lot. Basically gender is weird and we should really stop raising people so different. Thanks for the awesome video and thank you for including trans people.
This was so super interesting. I think the way this shows up the most in my circle is not driving. I’m AFAB non-binary and men seem to see using public transit or carpooling as way weirder and give me WAY more crap than women (the bus is GREAT though. Especially if you like to people watch). And men seem to be more against expanding transit access. Like the men in my life love driving and I do NOT get it.
Driving seems to be attached to masculinity in many cultures, I've observed. ESPECIALLY in older hetero couples, it's often only the man who drives in my culture - New Zealand. But like... why?! LOL
Love this! I think something else to consider is thinking of who is receiving a higher education too. I have overheard many of my friends talking about how more women today are getting college degrees and are just generally educating themselves more which I feel has something to do with it too! I know it’s hard to speak about but I believe that religion has a lot to do with who is joining the environmental movement and who isn’t.
In my experience men often do different sustainable things, and it's not called environmentalism when men do it. For example forestry majors are still primarily filled with males who want to save trees (forestry isn't really a sustainability focused major in my country but it's attractive to people who are for some reason.) Men are more likely to do "leave no trace" camping, trail cleaning/building, and other sustainability practices that go with outdoor adventure sports- because men more often do those sports in the first place. It might also just be that the more male eco fashion trends for tree huggers or hippies or surfer guys are just old fashioned now and the current eco fashion trends are mainly fashionable for women, so being green might feel out of fashion for men.
Thanks for all the research that must have gone into this video. Sadly, I was not surprised by anything you said. And I am so sick of fragile masculinity being paraded as a sad excuse for untold evils. Me I have a problem with my own feminity, not because I’d rather be a man, but because I feel like a human first and a woman second.
My first thought was that from personal experience, men tend to have less patience and want things more simple. Which may translate to not being that thorough at recycling and not doing much research about the stuff they buy. Its also a more masculine thing to be into cars, and that's not the most environment friendly thing. But women often have issues with shopping and materialism on the other hand, which can be very bad for the environment as well. Of course its neither all men or all women, but there are overall patterns. My boss at work is quite conscious about the environment despite being a man (not to the point of going vegan, but that's not normal where I live, I'm not either as I never felt well on a plant based diet). For the shoes study, I think a shoe being more durable by itself makes it more environment friendly, because you could keep it for longer before replacing it. So for me its why not take the high quality shoe anyway? Are the environment friendly shoes even actually more environment friendly when accounting for how often you would need to buy new ones?
I'm a chemical engineer specialized in energy and sustainability and you made me think about how I experience gender issues at my job at an NGO. There are more women than men, the upper management are old men and they get to decide and have opinions on everything (even if they don't have the expertise on a specific field). Also, the changes that are needed for better policies and markets are facing a similar problem, with mostly white men in positions of power. Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but sometimes I feel like most of the work is getting the approval from old white men.
I think a reason why chinese respondents may have a smaller green gap, at least when it comes to transportation and recycling, is that the government takes measures to ensure ecofriendly behaviour. In Shanghai, for instance, non-local cars aren't allowed on major highways during peak hours, and you can only get a Shanghai license plate through auctions (they're both expensive and require a lot of luck to get). This means many people are forced to take public transit, regardless of their personal views on sustainability.
First of all, I want to compliment you on how well researched this video was, Immy, bravo! As someone with a psychology background, I really value scientific facts over small talk, and in the next few days I'll read the articles you mentioned, so thank you! 🙏 Concerning the eco gender gap, might it be that women tend to be more careful because of the cliché that says we "consume" more (clothes, shoes, hygiene and beauty products just to name a few) than men? I hope that more research will be done and that it will be more inclusive: the risk here is that by excluding non binary people, studies won't be relevant and truly reflective of the society we live in.
I took my time watching your video because it looked crazy dense (and I was right ahaha). I think I could add tow points to your research. Both are based on personal observations, so they might be biased. First, the relation to consumption depends on the gender, as well as the amount you're expected to consume. Practices like waxing, putting make up on, doing one's hair, not repeating an outfit, changing style and always looking "put together" are things expected of women, meaning that being frugal and using up tee shirts until they fall appart is much more common among men (we see you dads). Second, I have noticed that having a kid turned much of the boomer generation more ecofriendly. You don't care when it's your own health, but when you hear about micro plastics and the future of the world you start thinking about your children. Women are care giver in the sense that they usually make these consumption choices (going groceries, etc) but also because they usually are considered responsable of children, hence socialised to be interested in what personally concerns them. Keep up the good work 👍
We have in Spain 2 bloggers ( a couple: woman and man). They tell their experiences reducing plastic. He admits many people think he is gay because he is interested in sustainability. People consider sustainability is a matter of women and it isn't masculine.
I dont get why just caring about the environment (like any other political/society issue) is somehow considered "not masculine". To me it could be gender neutral and its mainly taking responsibility and improving yourself, helping the world. How is being responsible something to be embarrassed about? I'm far from perfect, but recently got more motivated (and have been slightly caring/motivated for a long time) to care about the environment, kind of forgot about if for a while when worrying so much about the Ukraine war and how it maybe could expand to a world war. But despite that, the high power prices has taught me to save a lot more power than before, a habit I may keep long term even if the prices go back. I do many other small things like when I'm on a trip outdoor I pick up garbage from the ground and throw it in the trash-bind, and have recently switched out dairy milk with vegan milk replacement, cutting down animal consumption a little (but have no intention of actually going vegan, as I physically never felt well on it)
Hey Immy, it's really good that your videos are very realistic with many citations based on various researches and it's limitations given the number of people who don't believe in global warming and other. I don't know why but there are many bots here in the comment section mostly on crypto based investments. keep doing the good work!!💓🌱🌲
WATCH NEXT: Is "zero waste" just another way to self-optimise? th-cam.com/video/e3IjL3HH3xo/w-d-xo.html
This is such an interesting video! Most of my female friends are concerned with sustainability, and most of my male friends don't give it much thought. However, my male friends wear the same clothes for years, buy food in bulk, and buy electronics used. So I think men sometimes do a lot of sustainable things without even knowing its sustainable because zero waste is advertised as a thing you do by SHOPPING- a stereotypical women’s activity- and having a strong connection to nature
Yes! Absolutely love this insight and I totally agree. There are so many differences angles and reasons for sustainable behaviour, and what happens when we call it sustainability rather than something else. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Unfortunately, a lot of the men I know personally are obsessed with buying new technology and appliances and eat a lot of red meat and animal products....but are under the impression that women consume more, even though a lot of the women I know generally consume less, are vegatarian or vegan, and are more into thrifting.
@@360shadowmoon Idk could it be... that the women you spend time with, are the type of people who are more like you, because you chose them because of that, and the men are the type of people who more just happen to be in your life? I know for most women, most of their friends are women, and the men in their lives are there because of family association or romantic interest. I could be wrong, but I think this sort of thing could skew anecdotal experience's validity to represent people in your community.
Yes and I don’t think they use as many skincare and beauty products.
@@raapyna8544 I mean, this is true for everyone. I don’t claim that my experience is representative, but a counter example to the generalization that women over consume and men don’t.
I have a male friend who suffers from toxic masculinity to the point where he refuses to carry groceries if they are in a reusable bag, so in my experience eco gender gap does definitely exist and I personally think it is closely tied to both toxic masculinity and traditional gender norms as a whole.
This friend of mine also stopped riding his bike to work when a female colleague pointed out how healthy and eco-friendly it was, and makes a huge point out of the fact that he has only one trash can and no recycling bins. His struggle do be real and is obviously rooted in much bigger issues, but I have yet to figure out what exactly would be a ”masculine enough way” of looking at sustainability that could push more men to join the climate fight!
I truly cannot fathom someone so fragile in their existance that they’d rather watch the planet die than bite the bullet and do something about it.
I don't mean to sound judgmental but am not sure I could continue to be close friends with a man with such a fragile male identity.
Wow, that's intense, and disheartening. I think I agree with Janet's response.
@@janetstonerook4552 I unfortunately don’t have a choice due to several reasons, including us working together. His toxic masculinity stems from severe religious and childhood trauma, it’s not my place to tell his story but I feel it’s important to note he and many other men didn’t choose it.
While I did do him dirty by highlighting only his worst moments, he has come a long way in the years we’ve known each other. The instances I mention happened 5+ years ago, again I just wanted to say the eco gender gap is real and is a very important topic!
Very sad
I don't see anything to do with masculinity. It looks to me that there's a petty squabble between you and he's just trolling you knowing how much these things would bug you.
As a man myself. I did sometimes find myself hesitating when it comes to switching for more sustainable hygienic products. Asking myself question like: what would the cashier say, what would people in my circle think about it? Although in the end i ended not really giving a damn, but I think I can understand when it comes to other guys who actually would prefer to stay away from a more sustainable alternative(for whatever the product may be) simply to maintain that "masculine look". In which, many brands are doing a great disservice to the cause by making it look like it's a only a woman thing, as you mentioned. Kinda similar to how the video game industry had been for quite a while.
I'm so hype for this conversation. This is one of those things that is so obvious that you walk right past it; like, hiding in plain sight?! It's so cool that she came with all this data to back it up and that people have already been tracing this for years. Meanwhile, it explains so much in terms of how shame can be used to prevent individuals from taking steps to be sustainable or even from just talking about it with people whose opinions they value. Like: Why doesn't this matter (to you)? Don't you think it should? ... Afraid to lose respect for the person maybe even more so than being shut down. & I love that you compared it to gaming. That's totally the icing to this whole piece.
My dad was defined as frugal not low waste. Lights were low and there was no waste in our house. Yes my dad made sure the car ran and rode a bike to work. He taught me to take short showers. We also bought second hand and if there was something wrong with the shoes. He wouldn't call himself eco but define himself as frugal. Good topic.....thanks
Thanks very much for sharing your experience and your dads, it really is interesting the way we define our actions!
Similar experience here! My dad is frugal, has his own allotment, buys in bulk, probably hasn't bought anything new clothing wise in YEARs etc. yet is a climate change denier 😵💫 I probably am able to navigate the climate denier factor when he's 'eco' in many other ways he doesn't realise.
Frugality is much better to the environment than just buying "green" alternative products to continue wasteful behaviours.
Second hand cloths vs fancy eco clothes, taking the bus vs buying a tesla etc.
Make being a cheapskate cool!
This was so fab - I actually watched it a few days ago but came back to say some of your points are STILL IN MY HEAD and it gave me so much to chew on, thank you. Also those sources in the description - wowza! x
This means a lot coming from YOU! Thanks for watching Leena, really appreciate it. 🥰
I hope you enjoy today's video! All timestamps are in the description so you can skip between the information if you want to, and all references are also listed for those of you want to read more !! Immy
I think this topic is interesting because this is recent in Finland. Until a few years ago, the Green party was dominated by men. Now it has turned around. Men write in papers asking, why has the Green party failed in speaking to men, because most of their representatives are women. I think the eco lifestyle movement might be part of this. It used to be 'cool' to be an environmentalist when it was sort of rebellious and radical. When women came along with their lifestyle blogs, it lost the edge, or something like that?
The old 'greenpeace activist who attacks oil raft and goes to jail in Russia' is a man. The Extinction rebellion activists who block a road in the capital are women, and they are judged for 'making the environmental movement look bad'.
My take on it is they 'make it look bad' because they're women.
I'm a PhD student studying consumer behavior and was impressed with your lit review- I've read a lot of these papers for seminars. You did a great job summarizing the research! Another point of concern within these papers is the lack of controls for political affiliation. Environmentally friendly behaviors are often associated with liberal ideology, in the US. Women are more likely, on average to be liberal. Although some of the papers you bring up try to control for political affiliation, I remember being concerned about their methodology across the board.
It should also be noted that it can be difficult to collect data on gender non-confirming individuals, since a lot of consumer behavior research use student samples. Getting a solid number of trans participants can be difficult within this context. Although you can specifically recruit trans and non-binary people, doing so removes some of the power of random sampling. If you do manage to recruit enough trans people to conduct research, and find statistically significant results, you then have to battle with journals in order to publish your data. Business academia can be politically polarized. I've been told it's a lot harder to get research looking at any gender effects published, and that it's almost impossible to publish research looking at trans and non-binary at this point. I'm still working a couple of research ideas, but my understanding is that these issues aren't caused by lack of concern from researchers, but larger systemic issues in journals
Hi kcoy, thanks so much for your comment! I really appreciate you bringing in the idea of political affiliation as it is not something I considered. Although, now that you say it, I don't know how I couldn't!
Thank you also for your explanation of the collection of data on gender-conforming individuals. I don't know anything about the trials and tribulations of actually conducting research so this was really useful for me to learn about. once again, thank you for taking the time to write your comment, it's so helpful to me.
Oh Immy… this is a 🔥 topic for me… I just knew you’d broach it one day. Today is the day!! “Women’s work” historically and traditionally has included cooking, needlework, housekeeping, and child rearing… these are all valuable responsibilities but this term is so last century. Saving the planet ain’t got nothin’ to do with gender… we’re all in this together… and I cannot wait to hear what you have to share with us today on this topic. I love that you have included time stamps, but tbh… you won’t find me skipping over any of the info/discussion in this video. I am really looking forward to the Live Chat/Premiere! Bring it on my friend!! 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary💕💪
Ah yes I’ve been working on it for a while, with my sister who is very smart! We wanted to do the topic justice! Thanks for being here and watching, it’s always a pleasure to chat in the live.
@@SustainablyVegan Just thought I’d say that… Over the years you have briefly made mention of your sister. She sounds like one heck of a dog-lovin’, bicycle repairing, uber-fit, highly intelligent and multi-faceted individual. You are so very fortunate to have her in your life. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary
I think as a woman, we are so often made to feel guilty for our place in the environment. That because we “consume more” we should be more ethical about it in practice. Perhaps men feel less guilt because they don’t necessarily need to consume as much, thus they don’t have to feel as bad about it. I’m being hypothetical, but I think men, in general, feel less guilty for their existences.
Just because men don't buy more stuff, doesn't mean thex consume less. Driving a car, traveling more, buying tech merch are all categories where men are bigger consumers
My dad fixed my bicycle tyre the other day. 😇 His eco-heroism is being supportive of me, his eco-geek daughter who didn't become an engineer like he wanted and instead attends activist meetings and government workshops on zoom, rides a bike to lead scouts meetings, and grows trees in pots.
As an Asian, I think in China, there are these factors:
1) Good transportation system.
2) Buying groceries based on price, not where they come from, so if it's cheaper, people will buy.
3) I dunno about eco-friendly products, might be more expensive.
4) If recycling is convenient, people will recycle when possible.
My ex-boyfriend refused to buy second hand clothing, even him being unemployed and having no money. Also, he always claims to be eco consious, but push came to shove, he barely did the minimum (no recycling, eating pre-made and fastfood always), but he didn't mind when I did everything. But then again, he was also extremely lazy. He even takes the car to the shop around the corner, just to get a pizza and a drink... So for him, it was definitly not wanting to put in the effort.
Something else that might be worth considering: there are a lot more ppl single these days. Women need to pick up more 'masculin' tasks (getting the car checked or recycling and putting out the bins and so on). I do wonder if the male singles pick up on more 'female' tasks as well? (more ecofriendly cleaning supplies for example...) ?
Men need to clean first. I'm lucky to know some good ones but many of them are used to mommy cleaning up after them...
So yes. We need to stop gendering roles and all be adults who fix tires, clean, and recycle 😄
@@alphamail8974 Ive seen my dad clean and cook in the house countless times, and wouldn't even consider him feminine. He fixes the car as well. I agree its just basic adult skills, and gender shouldn't matter in that. I personally dont have any skill related to cars because I never owned one and never had economy to afford one (after inheriting some money from my grandma I could maybe barely afford to buy a decent car, but not maintain it with all the long term costs like fuel, repairs, car tax and car insurance etc) and I also suspect I dont really have it in me to be a good driver (since my dad has pointed out many times I have trouble keeping track of many things at once, and I dont disagree). But I do most of the rest like house chores, cooking, going to work and managing my economy. All skills you need to function on your own living by yourself, should really just be considered basic life skills and not gendered
This was incredibly well researched and explained. Thanks for putting in the work on this, Immy.
As a man working as an environmental activist and leader, anecdotally I’ve noticed no overall gender gap in volunteers, but there does seem to be a big age gap that pertains to gender - we have almost no young (under 50 years old) male volunteers in the organizations I serve with. Most of the men who sign up are retirees.
Also I have noticed a huge gender gap in content. Almost all the sustainable content I consume here on TH-cam is created by women. It’s very hard to find sustainability or simple living oriented channels made by men. There are more in the minimalist / low consumption space however, though still there seems to be a gender gap there as well.
As a vegan, it’s also lonely and often alienating being a man, and I have only ever had men openly question me and give me puzzled looks when I tell them I am a vegan. Thanks to athletic audience targeted films like Game Changers and male vegan athlete influencers like Rich Roll, this is slowly changing as they become aware of the health, longevity and performance related benefits.
Hey Justin, I really appreciated reading your perspective on these topics. Your observations and experiences are interesting and they shed valuable insight into this nuanced conversation. Thanks for sharing. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary
One area I find overrepresented by men is permaculture, regenerative agriculture, forestry, etc. Would be a good place to be connected with more men that share environmental values
@@AlicedeTerre This is an interesting point. As it's been noted that women tend to be more "people" oriented and gravitate towards jobs that tend to be more nurturing and about helping people, while men tend to be more "things" oriented and gravitate towards jobs that tend to be more focused on solving technical problems.
Thanks Justin - really interesting to hear your perspective and for sharing that extra dimension with the age observation. It's great that the films you mention are changing things but it's a shame if male vegans are only 'acceptable' if they are doing it for athletic performance.
Hi Immy. I want to thank you as a genderless person. There is a lack of information and recognition for non-binary people in researchs. I am happy that you recognised this aspect of eco-gender gap issue.
I can definitively see this thing of men being less susceptible to act in sustainable ways if their massculinity feels fragile of threatened, at least at an anecdotal level. In my friend group, my boyfriend is the person that is the most concerned about the environnement besides me. He was the one in our couple to suggest we go vegan, always takes bags to the grocery store, pays attention to the packaging, ethics and provenance when he is choosing food options. He buys very little stuff and wears his clothes until they fall apart. He refuses to have a car for environnemental reasons. He is also the one man in our friend group that never feels threatened by being associated with feminine things. He identifies as bi and experimented with occasional cross dressing and makeup as a younger guy. Right now he looks like a tall beefy dude because he does a lot of weight lifting, yet he never felt ashamed of using an item because it has "feminine branding" such as wearing a reusable mask with flower patterns or a pink lunchbox: he'll generally use whatever is available, sustainable and practical. He doesn't really care what people may think about it and finds it pretty ridiculous. In his own words: if a guy need to eat a steak to prove himself he is a real man he probably has a problem with that in the first place.
Maybe the fact that he's bi has something to do with his behavior. I think bi men's masculinity is on average less fragile than straight men's, which may make it more comfortable for him to act in ways that are considered feminine by other men.
@@marianmeletlidiscrap Yes I would agree in part but I think calling yourself bisexual openly is also a sign that you don't feel threatened in some way. I used to hang out with a lot of guys growing up, and knowing them more closely I was surprised to see how common it was for them to have had some sort of experience with another guy or to have shown interest in another guy at some point. Yet most of them didn't want to call themselves bisexual because there's this stigma that "for girls, bisexual means straight, for guys, bisexual means gay" and also that it diminishes your masculinity in some way. It's actually not just anecdotal either apparently, Kinsey's research confirmed that while it was common to have homosexual experiences and attractions it was not a systematic thing for people to own it as an identity.
@@alexhazydreams Good point. It takes a lot of courage to publicly identify as LGBTQ. I'm asexual and non-binary, but I'm only out to a few people my age (my parents don't know)
@@marianmeletlidiscrap yes it can be hard. And some family /workplace situations can still become dangerous no matter how brave you are unfortunatly.I hope you can feel safe enough to talk about this in your inner circle in the future. I use pan/bi as a label for myself as well and fortunaty enough, I never had to deal with anything that would threaten my safety, but to this day I'm only out to a handful of friends irl. Weirdly enough, I always felt like "why bother", especially with my parents. I "tested the water" as a teen trying to bring up the topic of bisexuality in a conversation and at the time my mother insisted to me that it wasn't a thing, despite having a friend who (her words, not mine) "was straight and then changed her mind and went with a woman then changed her mind and went with a man and then was a lesbian again". I would probably feel different if I was to engage in a long term relationship with a woman and if I wanted my parents to meet her but since it didn't happen and I've been with my current partner for a very long time I feel like passsing as straight saves me a headache a lot of the time. Coming out is way more work than most people imagine.
Interesting topic. Especially intrigued about how men may or may not be as concerned about climate change. Reminds me of my first "eye opener" with being environmentally friendly. I had this job where I had to shut down and sell an entire factory to someone new. When cleaning, I had to go through everything like company materials, binders, computers, garbage, recycling, metals, paper, cardboard, etc and I had to decide if it was garbage, recycling or neither. So I wasn't really environmentally aware before that job, but I definitely made at least a very small impact in how much trash went to the landfill. Not trying to toot my own horn, but I'm glad I learned a thing or two about recycling. Nowadays, at home, my annual trash level is through-the-roof low compared to what it used to be. The idea of gender having to play a role in climate change definitely needs more research. But no matter what sex you are, it's definitely good to limit your trash.
Also I have this theory that maybe explains some men, at least me... If I were to say out loud "let's save the earth" then 9 times out of 10 I won't actually do anything about it. Whereas if a "green guilt" trip came upon me and I didn't express my concern verbally about it, there's probably a greater chance of me actually doing something somewhere down the road. This probably has to do more with karma or learning from a mistake in general, but that's how I feel about change in my own life.
Thanks for the vid SV.
P.S. as a kid I thought Men should be the colour Green and Women should be the colour Blue. :)
This one was really good, Immy! Thank you!
I have recently started my eco journey since moving into my first property and being more in control! I must say, when I share my journey with friends and family, the men have been far less receiving! But overall, the reasoning for anyone being dismissive, is because they think it takes more time, effort etc. Which as we all know, isn’t the case! We just need to keep sharing the message! Amazing video Immy, on a great topic!
I recognise the unequality between women and men in sustainability. I am happy to have found a partner who I share most of our views on sustainability with and I would say he got interested before me. He works in construction and his graduation project was on how do use materials more effectively and how to reduce, reuse and recycle construction waste. When I moved to my own place he gave me a zero-waste spack to get me started on a sustainable host. I like that we share our sustainable values as I would say shared values improve a relationship. Very interesting and well researched video!
I've been trying to be more eco-friendly for about 20 years, my whole adult life, and in all honesty I've reached the point where I'm over it. Rich people still burn massive amounts of fuel flying all over the world and motor sport enthusiasts burn gallons of fuel at the track while I angst over a ten minute drive into town. New plastic-wrapped products hit the shelves every day while I scour the supermarkets to find one that has sesame seeds in bulk buy. Health basics like shampoo, soap, and toothpaste tablets ate all more expensive and harder to source when I look for an eco-friendly option, as is clothing. It's all so fucking hard and the majority of the population don't give a shit. I recently moved in with a partner and became a step-mother, and took on part time study as well as full time work. I'm busy and stressed and I just don't have the mental energy anymore. Pulling men into the eco movement isn't enough. We need societal changes that make the eco-friendly choice the easy one, and which penalise the high consumers and the producers of eco-friendly products rather than ordinary people like me.
I will add that my partner DOES engage in eco-conscious actions. He recycles, line dries, gardens, cooks at home etc. He's just a bit more relaxed about it than me and it's so much easier
Polly, I hear you and I understand your frustration! It sounds like you have a lot on your plate and you're right that we need fundamental societal changs to tackle this.
I’m defo going to watch this video again and also check out the info cited in the description but… just to add a light moment to a heavy topic… I’ll share this. A friend made me a sign for my fridge… it says “Wild woman at work saving the planet 🌎 Join in or get out of the way cuz we’re getting ‘er done!” It makes me giggle whilst at the same time I feel empowered and energized every time I open my fridge!! I love this type of video Immy and I appreciate all the time, effort, and energy that you have put into your research and documenting it here in today’s video. Intersectionality is paramount, and we’ll all continue to emphasize this! Thank-you, Immy, for all that you do. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary💕🌿💪
Thank you for mentioning that these type of studies tend to leave out those who don’t fall into those binary gender groups. Usually people straight up ignore it.
It’s always good to keep in mind that these are group studies. The thing about group studies like this is that they are good to locate possible oroblem/work/attention points in society but were never meant to be applied to an individual. They’re to target groups, for example in education, on an societal scale, and open up conversation, not to further stereotype individual people.
it's so interesting how this highlighs the methodological aspects of researches before concluding anything
(this should be the norm, but i mean that we have to always keep in mind HOW that research was made, in what context etc.)
I was discussing this with friends the other day and it's so great to see there's a term for this! I found your video so interesting, thank you for sharing!
The masculine stuff is so spot on. My husband tells me it is so weird that I bring my container to get take away food and could not explain why he thinks this
It would be good if there were more male influencers on line discussing minimalism. I notice the males that are usually discuss it from financial and fitness concepts more often rather than specifics of day to day living choices. None of them seem to discuss responsible disposal of their bodily fluids as do women with their endless suggestions for bidets, washable period underwear and reusable menstrual cups!!!
This is so interesting and complete. Thanks Immy !
I'm a research scientist with a background in environmental science and I gotta say, you absolutely nailed it with this video. I may not be a vegan but I'm definitely subscribing to this channel. Thank you very much for this video, more people need to see it. In fact, I even downloaded this video for archival purposes because it's that good.
I really appreciate your feedback on this and glad you thought I did a good job! Non vegans are welcome on my channel too :-)
Listening to a podcast of yours would be divine!! I listened to this while walking to work. It made it that much more thought provoking as I walk past so many different examples of where the waste we create comes from.
Another thing to think of is the waste that comes from jobs that are predominantly seen as masculine careers.
Fascinating and important video. Much food for thought. Thank you
Wow you did so good with this video!!
Thank you for this discussion! Like with a lot of topics, when conversations about sustainability are more intersectional, you realize just how much we ALL have at stake and truly long-lasting climate solutions are going to have to take into account the complexity, nuance, and inequality of our human systems.
My husband and I are both vegan, buy second hand, speak up etc - without a doubt, he gets a lot more stick for this from males in his life, than I do from people of any gender. He is the sort of personality who digs in when people tease him, so he just gets stronger and more confident in explaining his choices. However, I can completely see many people bowing to peer pressure/taking actions to avoid personal criticisms. I definitely see much of it rooted in toxic masculinity. The vegan comments in particular often revolve around weakness/femininity etc.
Loved this discussion! It feels needed
More video essays please!! 👍They are so entertaining and informative!
Thank you very much for the feedback !! I really appreciate it ❤️🥰
Loved this video Immy💚
WOW this video is so profound!! It’s something I never really thought about before, great job!
Amazing video Immy! 👏 So informational and so important, thank you! 💚
So stoked you talked about eco-feminism! Great video. :)
Thank you for addressing the lack of research regarding nonbinary and gnc folks! and the limits of the currently available in general, the video wouldn’t have been complete without them :)
What a very well researched, perfectly articulated video! You so often make me think about stuff I had never thought about. Thank you for this discussion, I can see it fuelling my brain for a while yet. Will definitely mention it to my husband too, I wonder what he'll have to say about his own experience
I really enjoyed this video. Very thought provoking. Maybe we can get a part 2 if somenew material comes out.
Really interesting and informative 👏 struggling with eco anxiety and being queer at the minute, and how this challenges the people around me. this has helped with perspective and the bigger picture
Thanks for this video
Such an interesting and well built video
Thanks Immy ✨
Great video, very interesting topic! I would love to see more content exploring not just the practical solutions for being more ecofriendly (although those are super important) but also the WHY of things.
This is so interesting. It's definitly something I have observed myself, I mean just take a look at sustainable influencers. I didn't know there was actual research on this and that it wasn’t just an impression I had.
There are two possible reason I'd like to ad. For one "zero waste" has not only become synonymous with sustainability, but also with a certain aesthetic. Lots of pastel colours, soft browns, greens and pinks are very popular. Lots of floral patterns. Designs are often soft and flowy. It's a look that communicates careing for the environment pretty well, but it's also something we usually asocciate with feminity. I am female myself, but that aesthetic does not appeal to me at all and I have actually noticed it's become somewhat of a barrier. If I need a new item I have the choice between something that brings me joy, but is made conventionally or something that was made sustainably, but is such an eyesore that I am itching to replace it. I can totally see how that might deter people whos gender expression is not compatible with the "zero waste look". I am really happy that I've noticed more and more people pushing back against that aesthetic.
And second, a lot of sustainable habits and swaps are intertwined with domestic tasks, especially when it comes to small individual action and getting started on a sustainable journey. So it's often times up to women to make the sustainable choices. And since women are confronted more often with those choices, we are more aware of the topic.
Yep - totally agree about the aesthetic!
I have also come to notice that, at least where I live, I put a lot of dependence on my male partner for unsustainable acts then say " well I don't drive a car or ride a motorcycle and so I'm more sustainable than he". The eco gender gap has been hinted in the media here and there and the thought has crossed my mind considering most of my sustainable friends are female, but until this video, I didn't notice that I am a part of this problem. Instead of using my partner as a scapegoat I should educate him about the movement and work with him as well as all my male friends.
As I mentioned earlier at least where I live, eco-education is scarce among native community members my partner and his family included. How can I help them change their un eco-friendly habits for healthy ones without being pushy? Especially if they don't have an open mind about new things or are being told what to do?
So, i'm male and i'm invested in sustainability, mainly in my university. I've seen a similar trend there, most people volunteering in student groups that focus on sustainability are women. You raised many relevent points which i agree with, like how sustainability is percieved as feminine (for example abstaining from meat consumption). To that point I'd like to add that this is in my opinion also partly because advertising sustainability towards women is more widespread. Possibly because, as you said, women make more consumption choices in the household. It gives the impression of having the power to change something. People who don't work a full time job are more vulnerable to this kind of advertising.
One important point i wanted to raise was what is percieved as sustainability, or at least active sustainability. Some things that men do are sustainable, even though it's not seen as active sustainable work, which would make this eco gap smaller. For example shopping for clothing, where men tend to buy less clothing than women. Or a frugal lifestyle.
Thank you for tackling this subject
Thank you for making this video.
I can't tell you how much I love this video. What a wonderful idea 💛✨️
This is so interesting, thak you uvery much!
From my perspective (queer, russian, vegan, feminist, in my 20-s), queer community, feminist community, vegan community and enviromentalist community is almost the same people. Members of each of this community, exept some religion-related vegans, are tend to care more about other topics in this list, then average citisen.
My second thought is about ecomomic position in relaton to green behaviour. Queers are more likely to be poor due to systemic stigmatisation. Being activist on any topic in autocracy leads to financial problems (fines, job loses and so on), making more green behaviour less available.
Very good point regarding systematic discrimination and wage gaps. I hope the world is treating you kindly, with love from a fellow queer, 20-something vegan 🤘✨
This is so interesting, thanks a lot for all your in-depth work and being nuanced through the entire video. A topic that you understandably did not touch on in this time frame, but is worth investigating, is eco-ableism. Meaning that disabled people more often than not (mostly due to being poor) have a way smaller carbon footprint, but are more easily harmed by climate change and are also often judged in the eco community because they need disposable products in order to stay alive.
Eloquently prezented & well thought thru
What a great video essay! Thanks for all the work you do to bring us these nuanced conversations. I think this topic is also interesting when considering movements as a whole which are historically dominated by women & other non-men genders but are often presented by male figure heads in media/news outlets. Generally it would be great (as you've mentioned) for society to embrace queer theory and move about the world more freely without judgment from those with more privilege/status than ourselves.
Thanks Arii, I always appreciate your feedback and insight. It’s truly invaluable ❤️
Such a great topic and video!! Loved the way you put up your citations ❤️👍🏻
This was a very interesting video. I never even heard of the eco-gender gap. You gave me something new to research and learn about! Thank you! Really enjoyed this video
interesting and important topic, thank you!
I loved this video, thank you for making it - very insightful and interesting! I would also recommend listening to Earthling Ed's podcast episode about Meat & Masculinity - it is very eye-opening as he discusses the perceived link between eating meat and being masculine and why is that.
This was such a thorough video!! Thank you so much Immy. I'm feeling really inspired to learn more about this now!
Ah yay this is the best feedback. I’m so pleased you’re feeling inspired to learn more 🥰
Another amazing video! Thank you so much for your hard work on spreading this information and research. 💕
I loved this video. I have thought about this much and I think it is considered unmanly to *care* a lot. Most men I grew up with where really embarrased when they had to admit that they really care about something - and I as a trans guy often even felt dysphoria in situations where I was passionate because that is weirdly attributed to femininity. I was socialized and raised to be a girl tho - so I was taught to be responsible for the household and for other family members and this has always caused me discomfort because I do care a lot but at the same time I don't want to be seen caring a lot.
Basically gender is weird and we should really stop raising people so different. Thanks for the awesome video and thank you for including trans people.
YESSS! Thank you so much for speaking on this topic! 🙏
You are very welcome. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch it ❤️
LOVEEEEEE THIS VIDEO SO EDUCATIONAL THANK UOU
This was so super interesting. I think the way this shows up the most in my circle is not driving. I’m AFAB non-binary and men seem to see using public transit or carpooling as way weirder and give me WAY more crap than women (the bus is GREAT though. Especially if you like to people watch). And men seem to be more against expanding transit access. Like the men in my life love driving and I do NOT get it.
Driving seems to be attached to masculinity in many cultures, I've observed. ESPECIALLY in older hetero couples, it's often only the man who drives in my culture - New Zealand. But like... why?! LOL
@@aimeelelievre9280 Yes so true!
Great topic because although I’m married to an activist, I see way more women caring for the planet and sustainability.
Thank you. This was an amazing essay and I can see the hours that went into researching and polishing this
Great topic, and I love the way you pose the questions!!
Great to listen to while I repair the seam on a pair of my period underwear. ❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️ I love that! Thanks for listening
Love this! I think something else to consider is thinking of who is receiving a higher education too. I have overheard many of my friends talking about how more women today are getting college degrees and are just generally educating themselves more which I feel has something to do with it too! I know it’s hard to speak about but I believe that religion has a lot to do with who is joining the environmental movement and who isn’t.
Yes! Some excellent considerations to throw into the mix here :-)
This is something I have briefly thought about before but never looked into. Thank you for making this video! It's so well done and well researched!!
In my experience men often do different sustainable things, and it's not called environmentalism when men do it. For example forestry majors are still primarily filled with males who want to save trees (forestry isn't really a sustainability focused major in my country but it's attractive to people who are for some reason.) Men are more likely to do "leave no trace" camping, trail cleaning/building, and other sustainability practices that go with outdoor adventure sports- because men more often do those sports in the first place. It might also just be that the more male eco fashion trends for tree huggers or hippies or surfer guys are just old fashioned now and the current eco fashion trends are mainly fashionable for women, so being green might feel out of fashion for men.
really interesting comment - thanks!
Excellent content! You could be uni lecturer (no idea if you are or not) but I'm glad you are here sharing this.
this is practically a thesis!! 🔥
wow, this is so interesting and super well researched and nuanced!! thank you!
This was super interesting ! Thank you for this deep dive, I would love to hear more from you in a similar format on other questions 😊
Wow, amazing video!
super interesting video, and the shots of you doing said eco-friendly behaviours are beautiful!
Thanks for all the research that must have gone into this video. Sadly, I was not surprised by anything you said. And I am so sick of fragile masculinity being paraded as a sad excuse for untold evils. Me I have a problem with my own feminity, not because I’d rather be a man, but because I feel like a human first and a woman second.
My first thought was that from personal experience, men tend to have less patience and want things more simple. Which may translate to not being that thorough at recycling and not doing much research about the stuff they buy. Its also a more masculine thing to be into cars, and that's not the most environment friendly thing. But women often have issues with shopping and materialism on the other hand, which can be very bad for the environment as well. Of course its neither all men or all women, but there are overall patterns. My boss at work is quite conscious about the environment despite being a man (not to the point of going vegan, but that's not normal where I live, I'm not either as I never felt well on a plant based diet).
For the shoes study, I think a shoe being more durable by itself makes it more environment friendly, because you could keep it for longer before replacing it. So for me its why not take the high quality shoe anyway? Are the environment friendly shoes even actually more environment friendly when accounting for how often you would need to buy new ones?
Such an interesting topic! We should all be in this together, but unfortunately some people don't view it that way.
I'm a chemical engineer specialized in energy and sustainability and you made me think about how I experience gender issues at my job at an NGO. There are more women than men, the upper management are old men and they get to decide and have opinions on everything (even if they don't have the expertise on a specific field). Also, the changes that are needed for better policies and markets are facing a similar problem, with mostly white men in positions of power. Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but sometimes I feel like most of the work is getting the approval from old white men.
I think a reason why chinese respondents may have a smaller green gap, at least when it comes to transportation and recycling, is that the government takes measures to ensure ecofriendly behaviour. In Shanghai, for instance, non-local cars aren't allowed on major highways during peak hours, and you can only get a Shanghai license plate through auctions (they're both expensive and require a lot of luck to get). This means many people are forced to take public transit, regardless of their personal views on sustainability.
very interesting, thank you
Thank you for addressing this topic!
This was a very important topic to throw a light on, we should discuss more about such things. Thank you for sharing it. 💯❤️
Interesting, thanks! ❤️
Great overview of all the nuances associated with eco gender gap! I've been wanting to do a video like this for a while, and you nailed it!!
Now that I think about it I am the only guy I know into this and working on my sustainability
First of all, I want to compliment you on how well researched this video was, Immy, bravo! As someone with a psychology background, I really value scientific facts over small talk, and in the next few days I'll read the articles you mentioned, so thank you! 🙏
Concerning the eco gender gap, might it be that women tend to be more careful because of the cliché that says we "consume" more (clothes, shoes, hygiene and beauty products just to name a few) than men?
I hope that more research will be done and that it will be more inclusive: the risk here is that by excluding non binary people, studies won't be relevant and truly reflective of the society we live in.
Very interesting video! It's got me thinking now!
Thank you so much I hope you're having an amazing day 🤍🤗✌️🇺🇸
I took my time watching your video because it looked crazy dense (and I was right ahaha). I think I could add tow points to your research. Both are based on personal observations, so they might be biased.
First, the relation to consumption depends on the gender, as well as the amount you're expected to consume. Practices like waxing, putting make up on, doing one's hair, not repeating an outfit, changing style and always looking "put together" are things expected of women, meaning that being frugal and using up tee shirts until they fall appart is much more common among men (we see you dads).
Second, I have noticed that having a kid turned much of the boomer generation more ecofriendly. You don't care when it's your own health, but when you hear about micro plastics and the future of the world you start thinking about your children. Women are care giver in the sense that they usually make these consumption choices (going groceries, etc) but also because they usually are considered responsable of children, hence socialised to be interested in what personally concerns them.
Keep up the good work 👍
I would watch an hour and a half long documentary on this.
We have in Spain 2 bloggers ( a couple: woman and man). They tell their experiences reducing plastic. He admits many people think he is gay because he is interested in sustainability. People consider sustainability is a matter of women and it isn't masculine.
I dont get why just caring about the environment (like any other political/society issue) is somehow considered "not masculine". To me it could be gender neutral and its mainly taking responsibility and improving yourself, helping the world. How is being responsible something to be embarrassed about?
I'm far from perfect, but recently got more motivated (and have been slightly caring/motivated for a long time) to care about the environment, kind of forgot about if for a while when worrying so much about the Ukraine war and how it maybe could expand to a world war. But despite that, the high power prices has taught me to save a lot more power than before, a habit I may keep long term even if the prices go back.
I do many other small things like when I'm on a trip outdoor I pick up garbage from the ground and throw it in the trash-bind, and have recently switched out dairy milk with vegan milk replacement, cutting down animal consumption a little (but have no intention of actually going vegan, as I physically never felt well on it)
@@zakosist My take is that caring in general is often more attributed to women.
Hey Immy, it's really good that your videos are very realistic with many citations based on various researches and it's limitations given the number of people who don't believe in global warming and other. I don't know why but there are many bots here in the comment section mostly on crypto based investments. keep doing the good work!!💓🌱🌲
Thank you so much !!
You’re doing great xx
Crazy important