The bioregion as a communitarian micro-region (and its limitations)

Abstract

The micro-regional focus of bioregionalism is a small unit of physical space, typically a watershed region. In bioregional discourse, natural systems become metaphors for cultural coherence. However, when we look for laws embedded in the natural world, those that are found do not then reveal themselves as principles which apply to systems of culture. Further, within most individuals, the sense of regional identity spans several scales because our past narratives and present affiliations span several localities. Humans are not immersed in singular niches, nor is the bioregionalist an existential, primordial localist, for his or her choice has been crafted.