Lawns as symbols of American values: is it time for a change?
by Joseph W. Dorsey
Interdisciplinary Environmental Review (IER), Vol. 10, No. 3/4, 2009

Abstract: Transforming one's residential yard from a traditional, water and chemical-intensive lawn dominated yard to a more natural, less input dependent landscape, is a long, time-consuming and expensive project that is best tackled one step at a time. The focus of this paper is to explore both the practical and cultural barriers to wider adoption of ecologically friendly landscaping in American society. An analysis of American concepts of nature and the environment suggest a long tradition of ideals of control of wild nature that have translated into chemically managed landscapes; concerns about socio-economic status; and the creation of personal landscapes embedded with meaning. This paper is divided into three sections that examine social, economic, and cultural frameworks shaping American attitudes toward their lawns and yards. The first section is a brief history of the American lawn that explores various societal influences both abroad and domestically. The second section investigates the notion of the lawn as a symbol of American values and the ideals of the perfect landscape. Finally, the third section proposes a process for selecting alternatives to the chemical based lawn. Green awareness and behavior still have to contend with practical issues that have to do with immediate self-interest: financial concerns, time and effort required to master alternative gardening practices and implement them, and the desire for efficiency in meeting one's landscaping goals.

Online publication date: Mon, 13-May-2013

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