Abstract

Economic globalization is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it compels more countries to get involved in global production chains; however, on the other hand it also brings many adverse effects in still developing countries. China, as one of the biggest developing countries and an emerging economy, has experienced economic reforms in the past 35 years. As a result, China’s economy has developed quickly. One of the areas where China has paid the price for such fast-paced economic development and rapid industrialization is environmental degradation and pollution. Women largely bear the brunt of the effects of environment pollution, but their voices usually remain at the margins.
This research strives to find the role that education can play in balancing economic development and environmental conservation. However, in order to design an appropriate context bound curriculum it is necessary to examine how women workers perceive and experience economic globalization and environmental pollution. Drawing from a conceptual framework based on ecofeminism, women workers were invited to participate in a Photovoice project. They presented their concerns about environmental pollution and economic globalization through their photos. Based on the case research, some suggestions are given on how to deal with the pollution issues from an educational perspective, and how to balance economic globalization and environmental sustainability.