Thesis on "Ecofeminism: Attracting the World's Attention Claims"

Thesis 19 pages (6366 words) Sources: 18

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Ecofeminism: Attracting the World's Attention

Claims by feminists of a verifiable linkage between the patriarchal plowing of Planet Earth's ecosystems asunder and those same males' history of trampling on women's needs and rights have a prominent position in feminist literature. The goal of many female leaders, scholars and activists is to bring the ecofeminist argument to the forefront of scholarship and politics. Through the process of illuminating the press and public, the ecofeminist movement certainly hopes to benefit in numerous ways. One way in which ecofeminists hope to gain traction and credibility is by presenting factual, verifiable data illustrative of the main ecofeminist contentions. This paper presents scholarship based on research -- and empirical studies -- in the ecofeminist genre.

However, ecofeminist assertions vis-a-vis the linkage between the cultural, political and economic bias against women and the degradation of the environment are not always backed up with powerful evidence. Indeed evidence is needed, especially given the radically diverse viewpoints in the literature, including those expressed by the likes of respected feminist author J. Ann Tickner:

many feminists believe, she explains, that "…Western civilization has reinforced the subjugation of women through its assertion that they are closer to nature than men" (Tickner, 1992, p. 124). That is not a widely held viewpoint among men or women, hence, education begins with generalized assertions by ecofeminist scholars in order to cut a wide swath of interest and to spotlight more palatable arguments on the global stage.

A more palatable case -- albeit it not empirical -- is made in Barbara T. Gates' 1996 essay, "A Root of Ecofeminism"

(Gates, 1996, p. 9), in which the author argues that over recorded time men have consistently sought to wield power over women's reproductive functions. While, according to Gates, there is evidence that women through ancient times devised methods to stop conceiving babies, male scholarly discussions of history have instead tended to place emphasis on ancient fertility rights. The irony posed by Gates here is that while male-driven activities have reduced Earth's ability to remain fertile, the dramatic population explosion worldwide -- pushing the limits of sustainability to unworkable extremes -- is male-driven as well (p. 9). Earth's survival hangs in the balance, according to the author, and males are principally responsible.

In other words, Earth's resources are not inexhaustible. Gates alludes to non-empirical examples such as the assertion that the Russians are obliged to buy wheat from the U.S. because the Russians can no longer produce enough food on their enormous land area to sustain the booming Russian population. The example that Gates gleans from ecofeminist pioneer Francoise d'Eaubonne, who believed that (in Gates' words) the Russian-American analogy provides "…the perfect example of the intimate link between reproduction of humans and the destruction of the earth" (Gates, 1996, p. 11).

Challenges to Ecofeminism.

Scholars and others who claim that the ecofeminism movement is essentialist because it seems to assert that women have a closeness to nature that is biological have criticized feminists (Gates, 1996, p. 13). Gates insists that the values embraced by most ecofeminists do not rely on whether or not females are closer to nature. Indeed, the open-minded, informed ecofeminist is more apt to go along with d'Eaubonne's approach and that is to "…Work diligently to effect changes in attitudes toward women and nature that may in turn promote the survival of all people, other living creatures, and the earth itself" (Gates, 1996, p. 15).

Meantime when Dr. Heather Eaton -- professor of theology, feminism and ecology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada -- while attempting to come to grips with ecofeminism's link to globalization felt as though she was trapped in a maze.

There were many paths in that maze but none of paths led to any kind of coherent understanding of ecofeminism's role in the movement toward globalization (Eaton, 2000, p. 42). Eaton criticizes mainstream business magazines for creating the impression that the world is a single homogenous place ready and primed for economic growth.

In those business publications the impression is also created that the greatest possible model -- indeed the only practical model -- for humans to follow is a business model, Eaton asserts. Business journalists rarely discuss gender, cultures, ethnicity, wildlife, or habitat; nor do they allude to any workable international approaches to regulating the growth of corporations or to coming to grips with destructive urban sprawl (Eaton, 2000, p. 43). Similar to Gates' narrative, Eaton launches into arguments without providing empirical evidence. But as mentioned earlier, these narratives bring attention to the serious issues faced by the world's population and also highlight the need for ecofeminism to make a compelling case for change.

Eaton (p. 43) accuses mining corporations in Latin America of adding cyanide to water to help separate different minerals so affluent people can wear gold jewelry. Women, particularly poor women, and children -- along with animals and plants -- of course depend on the water that has been saturated with cyanide, which causes the slow but sure deterioration of human, animal and plant health (Eaton, 2000, p. 43). As the social fabric breaks down women are sexually exploited, corporations buy up land that once belonged to simple peasant farmers, and there is a marked deterioration in health and educational systems (Eaton, 2000, p. 43).

These breakdowns negatively impact democratic institutions in Latin America, according to the author, and at the same time poor people (a majority of women among them, Eaton asserts) are stripped of any decision-making authority over their own lives (Eaton, 2000, p. 43). Again, these narratives offer provocative if not empirically verified allegations, but since respected scholars have brought forth the allegations it should behoove competent researchers -- and hopefully alert journalists -- to provide empirical research to back up and fill in the data to more fully complete assertions by the likes of Gates and Eaton.

That having been said, in this paper non-empirical narratives are shared but they are bolstered by empirical studies. In the following section verifiable, empirical narratives are presented with reference to ecofeminism and environmental issues like clean water / water rights and other ecologically pertinent issues.

Water Justice, Women, and Ecofeminism

Greta Gaard explores the ways in which the treatment of women in Western culture "…is connected symbolically, psychologically, economically and politically to the treatment of nature… [and] the treatment of women and water is integrally connected to the treatment of indigenous people and the land itself"

(Gaard, 2001, p. 159). Gaard criticizes the United Nations System of National Accounts for not having a way of accounting for nature's production or destruction until nature's products come into the system of cash economies (p. 160). For example, the water that women carry (sometimes many miles) from wells to their homes in the Third World has no cash value, but when the water is carried through man-made pipes, it does have a cash value, Gaard writes on page 160.

Moreover, when lake water is clean rural women have a great and safe essential resource to supply their homes with fresh water. The accounting systems in many countries do not tally the value of the water that women gather and bring to the home, Gaard continues. But when that same lake is polluted, and the companies that polluted it are obligated by law to pay for clean-up operations, a cash value comes into play. Why? Men are nearly always assigned to the clean-up activity; those men are paid for their work -- generating income -- and hence, that lake now has a cash value (Gaard, 2001, p. 160).

The only other way that lake has a cash value, according to the United Nations System of National Accounts, is if the water coming into the lake is dammed and the force turns turbines to make electricity. Once the electricity is sent over the high-power lines and sold to cities far and wide, the water becomes part of the accounting. By using both examples (pollution cleanup and hydroelectric power) Gaard asserts that neither the water nor women count for much in the international economy (Gaard, p. 161).

While this example is not empirical per se, it is verifiable and germane to the topic at hand. It is also but one example in which the issue of clean, safe drinking water -- a resource that experts say will become increasingly difficult to find in the coming years and decades -- and the women who depend on it, carry it, and use it are systematically and unfairly devalued. Further, it sets the stage for the empirical studies involving women and water later in this paper.

Adequate water supplies are vital to maintaining healthy societies. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over one billion people on earth do not have access to safe, clean supplies of drinking water.

The WHO also claims that over two million people die each year due to unclean water and the diseases that result from water contamination. Millions of others are exposed daily to water that… READ MORE

How to Reference "Ecofeminism: Attracting the World's Attention Claims" Thesis in a Bibliography

Related Thesis Papers:

World War II Term Paper

World War II or the Second World War turned out to be a war that was proceeding by 1939 and then finished up 1945. It had a lot to do… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1623 words) Sources: 4 Topic: World History

---

World's Oceans Term Paper

Environmental Science

The World's Oceans

The Economic Value of Oceans to Americans

Waste Dumping in our Oceans

Oil Contamination from Various Sources

Toxins and Trash Entering the Oceans

The Depleted… read more

Term Paper 10 pages (3142 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Oceanography / Marine Organisms

---

World War I Great Britain's Failure Term Paper

World War I

Great Britain's Failure to Use Its Navy to Its Full Effectiveness in World War I

As World War I began, Great Britain was considered the supreme power… read more

Term Paper 18 pages (5178 words) Sources: 26 Topic: World History

---

World War I And World War II Term Paper

World War I and World War II

World War I was also known as the Great War and the War to End All Wars, a global military upheaval, which occurred… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1169 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: World History

---

World War II Put-Off by Europe's Lag Term Paper

World War II

Put-off by Europe's lag in paying off debts from the First World War, the United States remained committed to a policy of neutrality for the first several… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (982 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA Topic: World History

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>