Representation of ecology in animation films within the context of social ecology; Pixar example

The ecological crisis, which is the biggest crisis of our age, and its effects make itself felt more and more every day. In this respect, the importance of questioning that will raise awareness about our definitions of ecology and ecological crisis and how we position ourselves as a humanity is equally increases. The social ecology approach, developed by Murray Bookchin, argues that we must look for the origins of the ecological crisis in the crisis at social sphere, and seeks the root of the domination-based and utilitarian relationship that man establishes with nature in the domination relationship between man and man. This form of relationship has gradually led to the understanding that nature is a raw material and a set of endless resources that need to be utilized, and separated man, who is a part of nature, from it. Thus, accompanied by this study; The causes, processes and consequences of the ecological crisis are discussed in the context of the views put forward by the social ecology, and an ecocritical view is aimed at the representations of the human-nature relationship and all kinds of ecological understanding in animation cinema. Animation cinema, which is a highly productive cultural and artistic production area in terms of reaching a wide audience of all ages, expressing their problems in an entertaining way, containing plenty of references on ecological representations, and having an instructive quality especially for individuals who grow up in environments such as cities where contact with nature is intermittent, was chosen as the special area of this study for an ecocritical analysis. Within the scope of the study, firstly, some ecological concepts and approaches were explained, the important stages of animation cinema were conveyed, the place of animation cinema in ecology consciousness was discussed, and an overview of the ecology representations of animation on the axis of the Far East (Studio Ghibli) and the West (Disney) was taken. In the last part; Two Pixar productions, Wall-E (2008) and Cars 2 (2011), which directly touch on the issue of ecological crisis and choose their story from the social phenomena of the ecological crisis, were subjected to an ecocritical analysis in the context of social ecology. The social ecological elements in the films were determined and it was discussed in the conclusion whether the films have a holistic and consistent social ecological perspective.