Eco-feminism

ECOFEMINIST ANALYSIS

Ecofeminism, or ecological feminism is a term coined in 1974 by Françoise D'Eaubonne . It is a Philosophy and movement born from the union of feminist and ecological thinking, and the belief that the social mentality that leads to the domination and oppression of women is directly connected to the social mentality that leads to the environmental abuse of Earth. It combines Eco-anarchism or Bioregional Democracy with a strong ideal of feminism. In some tendencies, typically its advocates emphasize moving back to small Eco-villages of 100 to 140 people, which studies in Anthropology argue historically form the most stable and prevalent type of human society. In both some traditional and modern feminist ideals of such villages, women often function as the only Landlord s or the only land-owners, and property may be inherited only maternally, i.e. in a Matriarchy .

A central tenet in eco-feminism states that male ownership of land has led to a dominator culture, manifesting itself in food export, over-grazing, the Tragedy Of The Commons and a land ethic that amounts to land abuse. Some eco-feminists view Colonization as being akin to rape, and they also have equally harsh things to say about games such as Golf or Bobsledding that inherently require destruction of ecologies to be played.

Some scientists generally dismiss ecofeminism as neither feminism nor ecology; most feminists are not part of the radical fringe, and have heavily criticised the radical and anti-science turn that eco-feminism has taken.

Feminist and Social Ecologist Janet Biehl has criticized ecofeminism, arguing that it is a spiritual form of feminism built around a mystical connection with nature, that is ultimately at the expense of women. However, this line of criticism may not apply to many ecofeminists who reject both Mysticism and Essentialist ideas about the connection between women and nature. This antiessentialist ecofeminism has become more prominent since the early 1990s. {Link without Title}

And some "spiritual" ecofeminists can't be accused of inconsistency : they have a epistemological analysis of the Enlightment see chapter 1 of "ecofeminism" Mies and Shiva, which applies to materialist and spiritualist ecofeminism, want to place the spirituality in immanent world and then practice modern activism see Starhawk , discuss economical and political issues while working with the power of Great mother earth (metaphorically or magically according to their tendencies).

NOTABLE ECOFEMINIST ANTHOLOGIES