American Studies Ecocriticism and Citizenship

<p>This collection closely examines the relationship between American Studies scholarship and twenty-first century environmental studies' expanded attention to transnational and transcultural concepts of ecological citizenship and belonging. Visiting literary historical and cultural examples from the 19<sup>th</sup> century to the 21<sup>st</sup> contributors examine notions of the <em>common</em>-namely common humanity common wealth and common ground as foundational to concepts of global citizenship civil society and cosmopolitan democracy. The book engages in scholarly ecological analysis via the lens of various human groups-ethnic racial gendered coalitional-that are shaping twenty-first century environmental experience and vision and contributing to new concepts of citizenship and belonging. Diverse human groups are mobilizing around new concepts of ecological citizenship and belonging catalyzed not only by nuclear meltdowns oil spills hurricanes climate change and histories of privilege or social and environmental injustice but by hopes for a common future that will ensure the right of both humans and the more-than-human world to exist maintain and regenerate life cycles and evolutionary processes. The collection illustrates how each of us as members of diverse groups and as inhabitants of planet Earth have a stake in imagining and producing a common future. </p>