>
> >How do you define ecofeminism?
>
> Feminism is the body of thought that women by and large are equal to men
> allowing of cousre for differences in individuals. While there will never
> br exact equality in all things between any persons or groups, we should
> all be equal before the law and in terms of rights.
This is "Equality Feminism". Not all feminist/feminisms work from this
premise of equality. Just wanted to point this out for clarification.
Also, there are different strands of equality feminism as well.
>
> >Do you not think the personal is political?
>
> Pardon me but thats the stuff that sounds like bafflegab. Do you mean that
> persons have rights? If so, sure.
>
What about the The fact that women in America are generally paid lower
wages than men, that women
are raped and beaten at alarming rates, that women hold the majority of
"low-skilled", low-paid jobs, that abortion rights are
discussed/determined by a lot of men, that women of various populations
in the U.S. are subjected to things like forced sterilization, and so on
and so on? Aren't these situations personal *and* political?
-Lori Parker
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Jan 15 10:35:50 1996
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 09:35:32 -0800 (PST)
From: Arlene Plevin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Some thoughts
In-Reply-To: <v01510100ad1fc62564d8@[127.0.0.1]>
As I've read the volleys back and forth on the nature of ecofeminism, at
times I've been somewhat intrigued by what people have said, by the
process of defining. However, it has also seemed to me to take on an
edge of anger--a "if-you-don't-fit-my-definition-than-you're-not-one"
tone.
As I believe feminism has evolved to embrace, or at least attempt to
embrace, feminisms (I'd underline the s there, if I could figure out how
to do so on my e-mail screen.), which has suggested that there are many
subject-positions, many perspectives evolving from various cultural,
geopolitical etc. areas, I'd like to suggest the same for ecofeminism/s.
One of the stages feminism has gone through is to recognize that at times
theory was evolving from and, at times, naively (or not so?) for
educated, white, mostly middle-class women. Ecofeminism can, I believe,
mean many things to many people--and be valid. Who are we to say that a
mother in Madigascar, feeding her child the only protein she can find, an
endangered lemur, is any less a ecofeminist than those of us in North
America, Europe, etc. who can choose between saran-wrapped lamb in
Safeway and organic soybeans in a local co-op?
Yes, I suspect there may be a thread of perspectives uniting people,
perhaps a sense of a similar goal, but I fear that not to recognize other
positions as valid and worthy when they are different is dangerous,
limiting, and finally simple.
I'm afraid that I deleted information about whoever added the general idea
below to the list (apologies) but I concur, although certainly various
definitions of "sensible" are wonderfully open to discussion.
> > One of
the places I am coming from is the idea that were all equal, and we >
should treat our planet sensibly.
>
I did introduce myself to the list earlier, I believe, but briefly, I'm
working on a PhD in English, focusing on the teaching of writing and
literature of the environment. I'm passionate about bicycling, having
written several books on it, and have bicycled in various parts of the
world.
Best,
Arlene> > >
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Jan 16 02:25:02 1996
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 01:23:37 -0800
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Hi Betty
>This is "Equality Feminism". Not all feminist/feminisms work from this
>premise of equality. Just wanted to point this out for clarification.
>Also, there are different strands of equality feminism as well.
>
Equality feminism -- I would say common sense feminism -- works for me.
>> Pardon me but thats the stuff that sounds like bafflegab. Do you mean that
>> persons have rights? If so, sure.
>What about the The fact that women in America are generally paid lower
>wages than men, that women
You have to do the comparisons right. In many cases the two groups are very
close, eg, single males and single women. It seems having children has
something to do with income later on when mothers take lower paying temp
jobs instead of the career track stuff. Something like that anyway.
>are raped and beaten at alarming rates,
We sure have to do something about that. I might get a gun afterall.
>that women hold the majority of "low-skilled", low-paid jobs,
How much of that is by choice? You know, those who are seeking only p/t
jobs close to home.
>that abortion rights are
>discussed/determined by a lot of men, that women of various populations
>in the U.S. are subjected to things like forced sterilization, and so on
>and so on? Aren't these situations personal *and* political?
I suppose so, but the term becomes so broad that it doesn't tell you
anything. It's like one of those empty slogans that have a nice sound when
you say it, but its well vaccumous like commercials. Personal and political
could mean that your mad because sanitation didn't get your trash last week
or something just as trivial. We should use something more defining.
Betty
