Ecological Being

Abstract

This article develops an understanding of ecological being that, we argue, is based on the ontology of relation. We make a conceptual distinction between subject-based and relational ontological forms. While these ontological forms coexist in everyday life, we argue that ecological awareness arises only from the time and space of relational ontology. Ecological awareness involves open response to difference. When awareness is an attribute of a subject, the other is seen from the perspective of the subject’s identity. By contrast, the awareness arising through a relation is ecological because the difference is not locatable; it is both inside and outside. We develop a relational understanding of ecological being by drawing on research we have undertaken at Bondi Beach, Australia. For this research, we interviewed people who, every day, all year round, engage in recreational activities. Through an analysis of these beach experiences, we consider the ways in which ritual practice allows for a transformation to the relational state that entails ecological being and awareness.