Ecologizing Romanticism?

Combining ethnographic research conducted between 2017 and 2021 with historical analysis I explore how the notions of ecologization and romanticization can illuminate the nature practices of Swedish, urban, middle-class, nature enthusiasts. I argue such individuals speak of and relate to nature in ways that echo a romantic heritage characterized by nostalgia and longing for a nature perceived as beautiful, in contrast to everyday urban life. This imagery is reminiscent of Romanticism but I also see it as an expression of ecologization, since it contains a critique of anthropocentrism and an engagement with environmental care. The combination of individualistic and aesthetic appreciation of nature and ecological awareness expressed by my interlocutors, I conclude, represents a continuation of this historical legacy and demonstrates that Romanticism remains relevant as an analytical concept, and should not be seen as opposed to ecologization, but as a key aspect of it.