The power and promise of ecological feminism. In: Donal

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Ecological Feminism

• Johan Hattingh
• Stellenbosch University
• South Africa

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12 positions
Biocentric


Instrumental value theories
Intrinsic value theories
Extensionism
Preservationism
Ecocentric
Human

Conservationism
Nature
Radical
Ecosphere
Ruthless developer
Deep Ecology

Bioregionalism
Social Ecology
Eco-feminism
Transformational agenda
Transformational agenda
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Reading

• Karin J Warren
• The power and promise of ecological feminism
• In Donald VanDeVeer and Christine Pierce, The
  Environmental Ethics and Policy Book,
  Thompson/Wadsworth, 3rd ed., pp. 282-296

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Overview

• Exercise on conceptual distinctions
• An oppressive conceptual framework
• Examples and effects
• Agenda of ecofeminism
• First person singular narrative
• Characteristics of ecofeminism

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Oppressive conceptual framework

• Dualist thinking
• Hierarchical thinking
• Logic of domination

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Examples and effect of oppresive conceptual
framework

• Examples
• The division of space in a household
• Marginalization of women
• Environmental exploitation and destruction

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The agenda of ecofeminism

• Oppose the logic of domination
• Get rid of sex-gender oppressive categories
• To rethink difference
• To end all forms of oppression
• Including naturism
• To rethink what it means to be human

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First person singular narrative

• I give voice to felt sensitivities
• I express ethical attitudes and behaviours that
  are underplayed in mainstream ethics
• I stories confirm that ethics emerges from a
  situation (a place from where I speak)
• I stories have argumentative force

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Characteristics of ecofeminism

• Anti-naturist, anti-sexist, anti-classist etc.
• A contextualist ethic, based on defining
  relationships
• Structurally pluralistic (respectful
  acknowledgement of differences)
• Theory in process (change over time)
• Inclusivist (voices of all oppressed women)
• Not objectivist
• Central values of care, love, friendship, trust,
  appropriate reciprocity
• A reconception of what it means to be human