Ecofeminism Essay - 1217 Words

Today, we live in a world interwoven with womens oppression, ecological degradation, and the exploitation of workers, race, and class. In the midst of these troubles, a movement known as ecofeminism appears to be gaining recognition. In the following, I hope to illustrate this revitalization movement . I will begin by characterizing a definition of ecofeminism; I will then bring to the forefront the ethical issues that Ecofeminism is involved with, then distinguish primary ideas and criticisms. Though in theory, ecological feminism has been around for a number of years, it emerged as a political movement in the 1970s. Francoise dEaubonne, a French feminist philosopher, coined the term Ecofeminism in 1974. Ecofeminism is a feminist†¦show more content†¦Patriarchal views privilege masculine over feminine, reason over emotion, competition over cooperation and force over empathy. The Ecofeminist believes it to be evident in our world that these aforementioned dichotomies are abetting to a world lacking in equilibrium. Because we value terms like ‘progress, ‘competition, as well as ‘economic and technological growth over language such as ‘contemplation, ‘cooperation and ‘inner growth. Our western society has become a globalized world of high technology. There appears to be no ability to see beyond, to see what we have encased ourselves in; an artificial environment that has remarkably replaced the original, nature itself. We do not live with nature; we live above it, off it. I find it to be rather paradoxical that nature can exist and has existed without humans, but humans cannot exist without nature. Nature has become merely a resource to sustain our artificial environment. I will exemplify certain dichotomies that support the aforementioned conceptual framework. Reason vs. Emotion Culture vs. Nature Scientific vs. Mystical Rational vs . Intuitive Hierarchy vs. Circle Masculine vs. Female Ecofeminists challenge the patriarchal conceptual framework and the accompanying dualistic thinking. Ecofeminism seeks to create a convergence between masculine entities or energy (rational thinking,Show MoreRelatedTheories and Development of Ecofeminism Essay2603 Words   |  11 PagesEcofeminism Ecofeminism is an environmental movement, born in the late 1970s and early 1980s, from the necessity to give the possibility to women to have an active participation in ecological issues. In the West, gender and environment are the main topics of a large literature, which relate these two elements in ideological terms. In India however, ecofeminism has become an important and fundamental movement able to protect, in an efficient way, even if towards a slow process, the environmental systemRead More Reduction of Natural Resources Essay1224 Words   |  5 Pagesoppressive frameworks and hence, my interest in obtaining knowledge about alternative energy uses to be used as a tool to help liberate others in places of need. The â€Å"catching up development myth† as explained by Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva in Ecofeminism, is the idea that underdeveloped countries (meaning, countries that do not equal or exceed the industrial capabilities of modernized counties like the U.S.), through modern technology, are given equal opportunity to become as economically progressiveRead More A Feminist Perspective of Atwoods Surfacing Essay2903 Words   |  12 Pagespatriarchal reasoned dualities between the masculine and feminine world; through the domination and oppression of the feminine and natural world, and through the Surfacers own internal struggle and re-embracement of nature. Since the voices of ecofeminism are diverse, it requires definition (Zabinski 315). A postmodern movement that abandons the hardheaded scientific approach . . . in favor of a more spiritual consciousness, ecofeminist theory links the oppression of women with the oppressionRead MoreThe Relationship Between Literature And The Natural Environment1166 Words   |  5 Pagesconcerned with nature writing and ecological themes. Ecological concerns have been the subject of literature for a long time. The first law of Ecology is that everything is connected to everything else. Ecofeminism is a branch of ecocriticism and emphasizes the interdependence of all life. The aim of ecofeminism is not the same as liberal feminism. Ecofeminist do not seek equality with men but aim for liberation of women as women. It is a movement that draws the connection between the domination of natureRead More Eco-feminism Essay1188 Words   |  5 Pagesecological degradation, and the exploitation of workers, race , and class. In the midst of these troubles, a movement known as ecofeminism appears to be gaining recognition. In the following, I hope to illustrate this revitalization movement . I will begin by characterizing a definition of ecofeminism; I will then bring to the forefront the ethical issues that Ecofeminism is involved with, then distinguish primary ideas and criticisms. Though in theory, ecological feminism has been around for a numberRead MoreWicca and Ecofeminism3245 Words   |  13 Pagesof humanity to participate in the cycles of birth, death, and renewal that characterizes life on earth. The Goddess and Mother Nature inspire individuals to repair the split between men and women, between man and nature, and God and the world. Ecofeminism, a type of feminist critique, uncovers the source of environmental deprivation in the structure of dualist thinking and patriarchal systems (King, 2003). Some Eco-feminists associate the feminine principle with the giving and nurturing of life,Read MoreThe Feminist Philosophies : An Overview Of The Issues By Karen J. Warren2034 Words   |  9 Pagesundergone is that there is an intertwined relationship between the oppression and domination of nature and women, and this is, in the simplest of terms, the premise of ecofeminism. Nature and women are both treated as dangerous and unpredicted entities which have to be controlled and subjugated. According to Greta Gaard s Ecofeminism and Wilderness, it is the standard history of colonialism, one in which the oppressive structures of capitalism, Christianity, and patriarchy construct nature andRead MoreEssay about Ecofeminism4924 Words   |  20 PagesEcofeminism The first part of this essay will outline the main arguments of the feminist ecologists and deal with the concept of Ecofeminism. The second part will sketch the main arguments of Rosemary Radford Reuther book, Gaia and God. The final part of this essay will analyze: Starhawks The Spiral Dance, Witchcraft as Goddess Religion, The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, and the Descent of Inanna and examine the pros and cons of the position that a return to goddess worship would save ourRead MoreAnalysis Of Ecofeminism In Nausica Valley Of The Wind873 Words   |  4 Pages One specific movement, ecofeminism, is represented in Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind. The movie pushes and pulls ideas of ecofeminism by using feminine woman characters in dynamic ways and contrasting humans’ relationships with nature and how they utilize it. This provides context that examines how the women figures in Miyazaki’s work connects to nature and how both are affected by a male-centered society. Ecofeminism is a radical environmental movement that recognizes a connection between the exploitationRead More Ecofeminism- Links the domination of women and the domination of nature.958 Words   |  4 PagesExpanding Feminist Activism Ecological Feminism: local/global activism Ecofeminism- Links the domination of women and the domination of nature. Ecofeminism places importance on our connection as people of one earth and also recognizes how women have been, historically in the capitalist patriarchy, labeled as subordinate in relation to the dominating body. The environment falls into this subordinate category because it continues to be pressed and used to benefit the man machine. It may be