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39 Ecofem and Radical Green Thinking

Mar 02, 2016

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Ponyo Lilpond
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  • Ecofeminism & Radical Green Thinking

  • What is radical green thinking?

    Radical is often associated with Left politics & philosophies

    Inspired in some fashion by Marxist or Marxian approaches

    Focuses on the relations of power expressed through material conditions of social being

  • All radical green thought originates in 19th century philosophies

    Their roots are in liberalism

    They are humanistic rather than organic

    They derive from marxist & socialist theories

    They tend to be somewhat economistic & materialistic

  • Radical green thought sees domination as a primary problem

    Modern society is primarily capitalist

    Capitalism is driven by profit motive

    Capitalism is based on surplus value

    Surplus value comes from labor & nature

    Labor comes in many forms: workers, women, minorities

    Domination of labor leads to domination of nature

    Accumulation of power & capital are parallel

  • Power is embedded in specific social relations, which allows domination & exploitation

  • Such relations of domination are present in many spheres of social life

  • Who or what is responsible for such domination and injustice?

    Capitalists, most of whom (but not all) are men though system logic

    Men, most of whom (but not all) are patriarchal through socialization

    Society, most of which perpetuates injustice through naturalization

    Modernity, which perpetuates illusion of management & control

    Ideology, which legitimates & perpetuates hegemony by calling it natural

  • Radical green philosophies see such domination in human-nature relations, in

    particular, as a threat & injustice Nature is an object of

    human desire, rather than a subject of our respect

    This may be the result of material factors or ideological ones

    The result is that nature is exploited & ultimately destroyed

    Second contradiction of capitalism

  • Thus, the environmental crisis arises out of the class and competitive elements of capitalism, the domination

    of human by human, and the domination of nature by "man"

  • Does this, therefore, imply that nature will eventually rise up and overthrow human

    domination?

    Depends who you ask

  • Eco-feminism comes out of this philosophical vein, but in several varieties: The domination of

    women & nature are linked due to

    Valuing of both as providing freeresources

    Deep institutionalization of patriarchal relations & property rights of men

    Emphasis on rationality, which prizes calculation & demeans emotion

    Naturalizes inferiority of both

  • Consider the following ecofeminisms:

    Essentialistaccept the caring element in the mother-child relationship

    Religiousrestore pagan pantheist womens worship

    Post-moderndowngrade rationality as the measure of everyday life

    Structuralistcritique & deconstruct naturalized power relations

  • Essentialist eco-feminism (Nel Noddings)

    Women are naturally more sensitive to nature

    This is seen in the mother child relationship

    That is an emotional bond, and not a contractual one

    Boys are taught to demean this bond & be rational

    Women must take the lead in restoring proper human-nature relations

  • Religious ecofeminism (Starhawk)

    In prehistoric times, human bands were matriarchal

    Earth Goddess(es) were heads of pantheist religions

    Protection of Earth was the primary command

    Return to Goddess worship (or Gaia) is a way out of our dilemma

  • Post-modern ecofeminism (Carolyn Merchant)

    The scientific revolution saw nature as a bundle of secrets to be revealed by research & reason

    This could be done only by reducing nature to its constituent parts

    Reason thus became highly valued, as opposed to intuition, emotion & chaos

    We must give up the notion of progress and revelation of natures secrets to restore proper human-nature relations

  • Post-structural ecofeminism (Nol Sturgeon)

    Domination is naturalized through ideology & practice

    It is through naturalization that power is both rational-ized and exercised

    Relentless critique of beliefs & practices will reveal how this is happening

    Ultimately, such critique will reveal the truth, and people will change for the better

  • Peterson

    Motherhood is a social, not just biological, fact

    Boys reject their relation-ship with their mother; girls do not

    Conviction of separateness is a male illusion

    Knowledge is contextual and embodied/bodily

    Women measure themselves through relationships & an ethic of care

    This should be the basis of an ecological ethic

  • Mellor

    Mellor focuses on the gender-ing of economic systems & effects on the natural world

    Most economies are dualist & gendered, & devalue womens work ($15-45 trillion/yr.)

    This is concerned with the human body & basic needs

    Link of humanity with natural being is thereby diminished

    Both nature and women are diminished and degraded

    Provisioning offers an alternative

  • Dobson

    Dobson is contrasting ecologism with ecofeminism

    Identifies different forms of ecofeminism: Difference feminism Deconstructive feminism Materialist feminism

    And distinguishes ecologismfrom these because They are andocentric and Dont address limits to

    growth Ecologism does not seem too

    concerned about domination

  • Philosophical standpoint

    Representative author

    Central argument or concern

    Primary goal Means of achieving goal

    Critique

    Essentialist Nel Noddings Mother-child relationship = "natural caring"

    Replacement of male-dominated ethical systems

    A society with "mothers of both sexes"

    Only addresses close relationships

    Romantic Joanna Macy Indigenous women are closer to nature

    Establishing a closer bond with nature

    Learning beliefs & practices of indigenous women

    Tends towards essentialism

    Cultural-religious Starhawk Goddess worship was/is ecofriendly

    Recreate pagan pan-theist feminism

    Practice Celtic, Wiccan religions

    Anti-rationalist magical thinking

    Psycho-social Carol Adams Patriarchy is psycho-socially reproduced in individuals

    Eliminate binary socialization of boys & girls

    Non-gendered environment in home & elsewhere

    Fails to address societys role in reproduction

    Liberal Karen Warren Unequal representation of women

    Equal political and economic power for women and men

    Affirmative action, political access, economic success

    Individualistic; does not address structural issues

    Distributionist Vandana Shiva Unequal distribution of resources to women & children

    Just distribution of resources and power

    Greater access for women to economic resources

    Distributive justice offers weak structural critique

    Materialist Mary Mellor Sex/gendered division of labor subordinates women and nature

    Eliminate domination of women & nature by men

    United struggle to end male domination; womens decolonization

    Why should move-ment coalitions be Green?

    Post-modern Carolyn Merchant Science sees nature as female & women as natural

    Eliminate dominance of rationalism in analysis & action

    Restore holism & organicism to life & action

    Here there be dragons!

    Post-structural Nol Sturgeon Ecofeminisms must be deconstructed so as to not be essentialist

    Denaturalize all categories so that power is exposed

    Relentless critique of ideological positions

    No political program, only critique

    Ecofeminism & Radical Green ThinkingWhat is radical green thinking?All radical green thought originates in 19th century philosophies Radical green thought sees domination as a primary problem Power is embedded in specific social relations, which allows domination & exploitationSuch relations of domination are present in many spheres of social lifeWho or what is responsible for such domination and injustice?Radical green philosophies see such domination in human-nature relations, in particular, as a threat & injusticeThus, the environmental crisis arises out of the class and competitive elements of capitalism, the domination of human by humaDoes this, therefore, imply that nature will eventually rise up and overthrow human domination?Eco-feminism comes out of this philosophical vein, but in several varieties: The domination of women & nature are linked due tConsider the following ecofeminisms:Essentialist eco-feminism (Nel Noddings)Religious ecofeminism (Starhawk)Post-modern ecofeminism (Carolyn Merchant)Post-structural ecofeminism (Nol Sturgeon)PetersonMellorDobson