Cosmodolphins: Feminist Cultural Studies of Technology, Animals and the Sacred

by Mette Marie Bryld, Nina Lykke

Applying recent thinking on gender and the environment to original research in science and technology, this unique book explores postcolonial relationships with 'the wild' using the US and Russia as examples. The authors analyse contemporary categorizations of 'human self' versus 'wild other' through three twentieth century icons that best illustrate ambivalent ideas about self and spaceships, horoscopes and dolphins. The book includes interviews with astrologers, wilderness guides, dolphin trainers and academic staff of space agencies from both Russia and the US.The interviews highlight some interesting differences between these two cultures in ideas both about gender and about self/other boundaries. The authors also look at representations of the space race in film and science fiction in both cultures, as well as New Age and other texts on dolphins, astrology and space travel.

Cosmodolphins shows how all three icons partly reproduce and partly alter the earlier, colonial self/other dichotomy of woman, native and nature against the 'civilized' technologically masterful male self. We see how a particular icon of the wild - the dolphin - is elevated to mythological status, how a secularized society looks for spiritual fulfilment in the `beyond' - astrology - and in its own technological advances - space travel. Theoretically innovative, this book represents an alternative approach to ecofeminist themes linking them up with studies of new technocultures and cyborgs. It forms an excellent exemplar of feminist cultural studies.

Genres: Cultural Studies

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than its title suggests.

[17CECO · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Feminist cultural studies of technology, animals, and the sacred.” Mette Bryld’s & Nina Lykke’s study, mostly, the popular culture of the 60s & 70s surrounding the space race, New Age astrology, and deep sea exploration. We’re weirdly back to that dyad in 2016 & this has helped me think through the gendered, environmental and spiritual stakes in the new drive to colonize space, tarot everywhere, techno-witches. Though perhaps what has changed is the naive sense of the ocean as holding a reserve of pure nature/other dolphin-y intelligence. Feel like the seas now are either seen through the lens of global warming melancholy or global warming apocalypticism – like it’ll burp the carbon or methane that shuts down planetary life processes. Dunno. I could be wrong. Point is, I picked this up on a whim and tore through it. Was particularly impressed by their treatment of the theology embedded in both space race technological utopianism and new age. They provide a brief survey of why feminist studies often avoid new age/mother earth movements then dive right in with the right measure of trust and skepticism in regard to their subjects, taking them all seriously and unpacking the conservatism and radical potentials in each.
This also moved me toward thinking about the linkages between our own time’s rising authoritarianism and renewed desire to pursue colonialism through stupendously expensive government and corporate projects. Finally, this made me wish I was a dolphin.