A Woman in Sheep's Clothing

Abstract

This Capstone explores gender bias of women in sheep raising careers through the lens of ecofeminism and reflexive methodology It also identifies the importance of community in the fiber arts and production, and sustainability of heritage breeds of sheep. The main reason for this research was to capture the voices of women’s involvement in sheep raising in the United States, as there is a lack of literary sources on this topic. This capstone draws on nine interviews conducted over the course of seven months from women across the country with various years of experience and roles in their community with their breed of sheep. I examined each woman’s personal experiences in community and sustainability, demonstrating the importance of reciprocity, education, and livelihood in community as well as the preservation of heritage breeds for genetic diversity and self-reliance in a rapidly modernizing world. When examining the issue of gender bias in the wool industry, it is more complex in the fact that there are various forms of bias depending on region, breed of sheep, size of flock and the age of the individual. In conclusion, women’s roles in sheep raising shows diversity and intersectionality in the perspectives of the interviewees and their preservation of rare sheep. It also shows the complexity of the wool industry in the United States based on region and occupation.