At 11:18 AM 8/16/96 -0700, Betty quoted Susan:
>>I thought ecofeminists rejected the notion of "development?!"
>>
>>-Susan
Betty wrote:
>
>I don't reject it. Guess it depends on how you define it, but without
>development humans wouldn't have left the trees or caves. Development is a
>good thing if done with a bit of foresight and intelligence.It sounds
>kind of arrogant for us to sit here enjoying development and suggesting
>that other peoples shouldn't?
I have no problem with the idea that there is such a thing as positive
development but I think we need to be careful about 'foresight and
intelligence'. To me they suggest the male mind-set: assuming there are
things which are absolutely good and that it is possible to determine
absolutely their relative value so that they can be placed in order of
priority. In this world view people only disagree with me if they are too
stupid and illogical to understand these 'truths' which I understand.
I think the feminist position is that all value is relative. Things have a
different value to me than they do to you, whether you are male or female.
Probably things do, and always will, have a different value to women, as an
aggregate, than they do to men. Things have a different value to 'eastern'
people than to 'western' people. They have a different value to Pandas than
to chinese peasants; a different value to whales than to Japanese people.
I think we need women to be working in the field of 'development' even if
they do not start with a feminist awareness that values are not absolute.
Women who assume absolute values are likely soon to become aware that
members of the establishment with whom they are working assume different
values. They may still think that they 'know' that these establishment
people are 'wrong' but at least they will create an environment where there
is some questioning and some opportunity for someone to be enlightened. This
enlightenment of people participating may the most significant positive
effect of 'Development' programmes.
Helen Marsh: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: +64 9 473 9760
PO Box 1304, Hamilton, New Zealand - (Browns Bay, Auckland North Shore)
http://www.iconz.co.nz/~iwgordon
UBINZ - Universal Basic Income - http://www.iconz.co.nz/~iwgordon/ubinz.htm
