Ecofeminsim

Ecofeminism is a smaller and more specific type of feminism. It links the oppression of women and nature together. Eco is a prefix to ecology which has to do with the stude of organisms and the environment. The term Ecofeminism was first coined in 1974 by Francois d'Eaubonne. In an article titled "Ecofeminist Visions" by Cathleen McQuire and Colleen McQuire they state"The Western patriarchal belief system also places higher value on linear, mechanistic, analytical, and rational qualities. The intuitive, emotional, anarchic, and earthy are negatively perceived as passive, weak, irrational—and female...the patriarchal mind objectifies, controls, and devalues all that is labeled "female. The linquistic corrilation of Mother Nature being female is a big point of Ecofeminist. Along with the use and abuse that land gets and how it is claimed and concord compared to the way women at treated and looked at in today patriarchal society. This is seen to be caused by male domination. I agree with this. Studing entymology one will begin to realize that words and language is set up to be opressive. In a patriarchal society of course launguage is set up to specificlly opress women.
Ecofeminism takes several different perspectives into on. It obviously includes feminism as well as, ecology or science, nature/earth, and indiginous ways. By indiginous ways I mean what women are instinctually and biologically suppose to do. Adrian Harris states "Central to the liberation in a recognition of the value of the activities traditional. lt associated with women; childbirth, nurturing and the domestic arena...In Western society women are treated as inferior to men, 'nature' is treated as inferior to 'culture', the humans are understood as being separate from, and often superior to, the natural environment" (the Green Fuse). These it two points. One that Ecofeminist stive to free women and give them the credit they diserve for what they are biologically suppose to be doing. Two that seperation has accured. Humans view themselves as seperate from nature feel in power and control there environments to a point were what assets women are born with like childbearing and a nurturing nature are not what women are looked to for. They are set against these patriarchal standards of beauty, role at work, roles at home all of which at male dominated. Ecofeminist eleminate this idea of domination, sexism, manipulation, and hierachy of men to women to nature and level the playing field. They strive and take action through the power within not what is imposed through a patriarchal structure set upon them.
I personally wouldn't call myself a ecofeminist eventhough I do agree with their ideas and theory. I personally am not into labeling myself as one thing or another. Alot of ecofeminist are vegitarion or vegan which I do share with them. I do partake in a earth friendly lifestyle and do belive in some feminist ways of thinking but would not feel comfortable calling myself an ecofeminist.

Resources:
eve.enviroweb.org
ecofem.org
www.thegreenfuse.org
Francios d'Eaubonne
Richard Twine
Karen Warren
Vandana Shiva