Mai Ling Reads 21

Botany of Empire: Plant Worlds and the Scientific Legacies of Colonialism
Mai Ling Reads is back next week after a two-month break!

Mai Ling Reads is an informal monthly reading group, featuring intersectional feminist thinking in a casual, cozy setting. Each time, we have a selected text to learn and unlearn the way of knowing and sharing.
Prior reading or knowledge is not required. Please bring the text with you in print or digitally, and we will read out the text together!

This group is open to everyone who can respect each other. If you plan to join us for Mai Ling Reads 21, please let us know by sending an email to Mai Ling (Mai.Ling@gmx.at). We will send you the pdf of the text and the location.

Reading
Subramaniam, Banu. Botany of Empire: Plant Worlds and the Scientific Legacies of Colonialism. University of Washington Press, 2024.
Last time, we stopped on PDF page 77 in the Interlude–Reviving the “Women in Science”: Diversity, Gender, and the Coloniality of Science. We’ll resume with the section titled “WOMEN/GENDRE IN/AND SCIENCE”

Don’t worry if you weren’t here for the previous reading – you’re more than welcome to join us!

About the text
Exploring the intersection of colonialism and botany, this book reveals how colonial practices shaped botanical science and marginalized Indigenous knowledge. It critiques Western plant classification systems and proposes „counter-colonial botany“ for inclusivity. The author combines theory and personal narratives to advocate reimagining botanical practices that honor diverse knowledge and address colonial legacies.

Banu Subramaniam, an evolutionary biologist turned Feminist Science Studies researcher, explores natural sciences and medicine through lenses of gender, race, ethnicity, and caste. Her recent work reexamines botany’s colonial ties and xenophobia, linking scientific theories to migration and invasive species.

Mai Ling Reads 22 will be held in June 2025.