Red Dirt Resilience: Enduring Narratives of Oklahoma Environmental Activism

Stephenson, Moriah

Red Dirt Resilience: Enduring Narratives of Oklahoma Environmental Activism

dc.contributor.advisor	Klein, Misha
dc.contributor.author	Stephenson, Moriah
dc.contributor.committeeMember	O'Neill, Sean
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Theriault, Noah
dc.date.accessioned	2016-05-11T16:11:12Z
dc.date.available	2016-05-11T16:11:12Z
dc.date.issued	2016-05-13
dc.date.manuscript	2016-05-11
dc.description.abstract	This thesis explores the relationship between dominant narratives of Oklahoma identity and counter-narratives of Oklahoma identity. I consider how the dominant narrative of Oklahoma identity is constructed in relationship to the oil and gas industry, a powerful force in Oklahoma life. The dominant narrative of Oklahoma identity frames oil and gas as a source of resilience, progress, and a benefit to all. Histories and experiences of people who have challenged or been persecuted by the oil and gas industry are often silenced or erased. Examples of this are histories of Indigenous peoples, oil workers, socialists, and many different activist communities. Environmental activists working within Oklahoma employ multiple strategies to illuminate counter-narratives of Oklahoma history and identity; however, the powerful presence of the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma creates challenges for activists. Not surprisingly, at times activists reproduce dominant narratives of statehood unknowingly and struggle to effectively organize in the face of repression and social and cultural control. Despite this, environmental activists challenge dominant narratives of Oklahoma identity through counter-narratives and action.	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/11244/34609
dc.language	en_US	en_US
dc.subject	Environmental Activism, Oklahoma Identity, Activist Anthropology	en_US
dc.thesis.degree	Master of Arts	en_US
dc.title	Red Dirt Resilience: Enduring Narratives of Oklahoma Environmental Activism	en_US
ou.group	College of Arts and Sciences::Department of Anthropology	en_US