Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Ecofeminism refers to theories and political practices that make connections between feminisms and environmentalisms. Basically, ecofeminists claim that the oppression, inequality, and exploitation of certain groups (people of color, women, poor people, LGBT people, third world people, animals) are theoretically and structurally related to the degradation and overexploitation of the environment. Ecofeminism involves a double intervention: the claim that feminist issues need to be part of environmentalist agendas and analyses; and the claim that environmental issues need to be part of feminist agendas and analyses. Outside of this basic insight, there is little agreement over the specific character or mechanism of the connection between social inequalities and environmental problems. Both an activist and an academic phenomenon, ecofeminisms can be found in most parts of the world and in many disciplines, especially women's studies, philosophy, literary criticism, religious studies, history, sociology, geography, cultural studies, and ethnic studies. Several major areas of theoretical and political conflict and disagreement exist. One of the major areas of conflict is how to conceptualize the “woman/nature” connection. Are women the majority of grassroots environmental activists because the gender division of labor puts them in charge of domestic responsibilities such as familial ... log in or subscribe to read full text