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Text of the review published in
Economic and Political Weekly, VOL XXXIV No
15,April 10,1999
Review by K.Ravi Srinivas
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The Challenge of EcoFeminism
Ecofeminism As Politics:Nature,Marx and
the Postmodern-Ariel
Salleh- London,Zed Books-1997-Pp xvi+208,$22.5/Pound Sterling
14.95(paperback) ISBN 185649 400 4
Salleh- London,Zed Books-1997-Pp xvi+208,$22.5/Pound Sterling
14.95(paperback) ISBN 185649 400 4
This book is ecofeminism as articulated by
Ariel Salleh, who
has made significant interventions in debates on
ecofeminis,deep ecology and social ecology.By proposing a
common framework that encompasses peace,
gender,environment,socialist perspectives based on
materialist analysis and insights from critical theory. This
is an ambitious project, given the range of perspectives and
issues she tackles in this book. Her ecofeminism is claimed
as an embodied materialism that aviods the trap of
essentialism.
has made significant interventions in debates on
ecofeminis,deep ecology and social ecology.By proposing a
common framework that encompasses peace,
gender,environment,socialist perspectives based on
materialist analysis and insights from critical theory. This
is an ambitious project, given the range of perspectives and
issues she tackles in this book. Her ecofeminism is claimed
as an embodied materialism that aviods the trap of
essentialism.
In the first part
she provides an overview of women and
ecopolitics and argues that ecopolitics however radical it
may claim to be is often insensitive to gender issues.She
places women as the class base for change.This she argues is
not based on any inherent or essentialist view but on the
current positioning of the women , many of them whom she
refers to as re/sisters in the context of capitalist
patriarchy and increasing influence of capitalism on a
global scale. She is critical of liberal feminism and argues
that mainstream feminism not a radical critique of
androcentric colonisation by the West. According to her
'Women do indeed have radical chains;their social
containment in a sexualised reproductive sphere is bolstered
by exclusion and harassment from male-controlled
institutions ... An emanicipation of the relational
sensibility of women and its reclamation by women will
release earth energies'.
ecopolitics and argues that ecopolitics however radical it
may claim to be is often insensitive to gender issues.She
places women as the class base for change.This she argues is
not based on any inherent or essentialist view but on the
current positioning of the women , many of them whom she
refers to as re/sisters in the context of capitalist
patriarchy and increasing influence of capitalism on a
global scale. She is critical of liberal feminism and argues
that mainstream feminism not a radical critique of
androcentric colonisation by the West. According to her
'Women do indeed have radical chains;their social
containment in a sexualised reproductive sphere is bolstered
by exclusion and harassment from male-controlled
institutions ... An emanicipation of the relational
sensibility of women and its reclamation by women will
release earth energies'.
In the next part she provides
the basis of the ecofeminist
analysis and 'embodided materialism'.The common subjugation
of women and nature throught western history, in both theory
and practice and domination of women as nature is pointed
out by her.Drwaing on the work of Sherry Ortner she argues
that the core assumption of this domination is the man/woman
= nature divide is furthered by instrumental reason.This
dualistic logic negates both women and nature and they are
denied of any voice or agency.In other words this
subordination of women and nature negates life and it is a
'psychosexual fuse'. Based on this she builds up a critique
of Marx and Marxism and Marxist critque also suffers from
this fatal flaw.That is both women, in their capacity as
reproducing the conditons of production and nature which
sustains the very means of production are relegated and are
not given the consideration they deserve in the works of
Marx.She does not dismiss Marx altogether but only points out
that these were the missing elements in his works although he
was sensitive to the question of degradation of Nature. She
argues that the fundamental contradiction in the capitalist
patriarchal system is the nature-woman-man relationship.
Capitalist patriarchy according to her only aggravates the
domination of women and nature and the global assault on
nature,women and indigenous communities has to be understood
in this perspective.She negates the claims that development
will benefit women.
analysis and 'embodided materialism'.The common subjugation
of women and nature throught western history, in both theory
and practice and domination of women as nature is pointed
out by her.Drwaing on the work of Sherry Ortner she argues
that the core assumption of this domination is the man/woman
= nature divide is furthered by instrumental reason.This
dualistic logic negates both women and nature and they are
denied of any voice or agency.In other words this
subordination of women and nature negates life and it is a
'psychosexual fuse'. Based on this she builds up a critique
of Marx and Marxism and Marxist critque also suffers from
this fatal flaw.That is both women, in their capacity as
reproducing the conditons of production and nature which
sustains the very means of production are relegated and are
not given the consideration they deserve in the works of
Marx.She does not dismiss Marx altogether but only points out
that these were the missing elements in his works although he
was sensitive to the question of degradation of Nature. She
argues that the fundamental contradiction in the capitalist
patriarchal system is the nature-woman-man relationship.
Capitalist patriarchy according to her only aggravates the
domination of women and nature and the global assault on
nature,women and indigenous communities has to be understood
in this perspective.She negates the claims that development
will benefit women.
In the next part she argues that
ecofeminism goes beyond the
second wave and liberal feminisms.By building on
socialism,feminism and ecology it is possible to provide an
interpretation of man-woman-nature relationship that is
sensitive to the concerns of women across continents for they
face similar, if not identical threats from capitalist
patriarchy. The epistemological framework of ecofeminism as
advocated by her is explained in the subsequent chapters.The
disconnected objectivised prerspective of nature as terra
nullius and dualisms that haunt the paradigms that explain
man-woman-nature relationship are exemplified in diverse
projects ranging from bioprospecting,genetic engineering to
mapping the human genome.Such projects are being resisted by
re/sisters, indigenous communities who provide alternative
perspectives and an alternative epistemology can be
formulated from their life and struggles, an epistemology
that negates the narrow specialisation, that tries to
understand nature as dead but through continuos interaction
and awreness about the nexus between life,nature and
culture. This epistemology based on embodided materiaism is
an alternative to the technoscientifc understading of the
environmental crisis and development as the solution for
this crisis.
second wave and liberal feminisms.By building on
socialism,feminism and ecology it is possible to provide an
interpretation of man-woman-nature relationship that is
sensitive to the concerns of women across continents for they
face similar, if not identical threats from capitalist
patriarchy. The epistemological framework of ecofeminism as
advocated by her is explained in the subsequent chapters.The
disconnected objectivised prerspective of nature as terra
nullius and dualisms that haunt the paradigms that explain
man-woman-nature relationship are exemplified in diverse
projects ranging from bioprospecting,genetic engineering to
mapping the human genome.Such projects are being resisted by
re/sisters, indigenous communities who provide alternative
perspectives and an alternative epistemology can be
formulated from their life and struggles, an epistemology
that negates the narrow specialisation, that tries to
understand nature as dead but through continuos interaction
and awreness about the nexus between life,nature and
culture. This epistemology based on embodided materiaism is
an alternative to the technoscientifc understading of the
environmental crisis and development as the solution for
this crisis.
She calls for a
reading of Marxist theory that favours
abstraction grounded in practice and analysis at several
levels.She claims that a standpoint of non-identity which
goes beyond the dualistic mode of thinkning can be the basis
for ecofeminist theory and praxis.In other words we have to
rework the historicaly deleted identity with/in nature.Such
an exercise she claims is part and parcel of dialetic
analysis and this is not another essentialist
exercise.According to the author 'Ecofeminist politics is a
feminism as much as it offers an uncompromising critque of
capitalist patrirachal culture from a womanist
perspective;it is a socialism because it honors the wretched
of thge earth, it is ecology because it reintegrates
humanity with anture, it is a postcolonial discourse because
it focuses on deconstructing Eurocentric domination'.
abstraction grounded in practice and analysis at several
levels.She claims that a standpoint of non-identity which
goes beyond the dualistic mode of thinkning can be the basis
for ecofeminist theory and praxis.In other words we have to
rework the historicaly deleted identity with/in nature.Such
an exercise she claims is part and parcel of dialetic
analysis and this is not another essentialist
exercise.According to the author 'Ecofeminist politics is a
feminism as much as it offers an uncompromising critque of
capitalist patrirachal culture from a womanist
perspective;it is a socialism because it honors the wretched
of thge earth, it is ecology because it reintegrates
humanity with anture, it is a postcolonial discourse because
it focuses on deconstructing Eurocentric domination'.
By taking on the various theortical
perspectives she has
put
forth an ecofeminist critique of
Marxism,Postmodernism,liberal feminism etc. As a critique
her work is well argued and ample examples from the
grassroots res/sisters and movements are provided throught
the book. But one is afraid that her work does not take her
very far for she tends to generalise the material conditions
of reproduction and the reconcilation between universal
viewpoint she advocates and essentialst assumptions are not
worked out neatly in this work.Further her epistemology is a
brilliant critique but does not provide us a solid theory or
framework to combine an historical materialist perspective
with a trans dualistic understanding of man-woman-nature
relationship.
forth an ecofeminist critique of
Marxism,Postmodernism,liberal feminism etc. As a critique
her work is well argued and ample examples from the
grassroots res/sisters and movements are provided throught
the book. But one is afraid that her work does not take her
very far for she tends to generalise the material conditions
of reproduction and the reconcilation between universal
viewpoint she advocates and essentialst assumptions are not
worked out neatly in this work.Further her epistemology is a
brilliant critique but does not provide us a solid theory or
framework to combine an historical materialist perspective
with a trans dualistic understanding of man-woman-nature
relationship.
Perhaps part of the
problem is with her extensive use of
man/woman=nature as the underppinng logic of western
civilisation.Whether this logic alone can be used,
irrespective of the context and other social conditions as
the major cause to explain domination of women as well as
nature is a question that one faces while reading her
work.Zimmerman points out that Peggy Reevs offers an
alternative account that challenges Sherry Ortner's claim
(1). Morover as Slvia Bowebank has pointed out claiming to
speak in the name of nature or true nature is problematic,
even when such claims are made by women(2).
man/woman=nature as the underppinng logic of western
civilisation.Whether this logic alone can be used,
irrespective of the context and other social conditions as
the major cause to explain domination of women as well as
nature is a question that one faces while reading her
work.Zimmerman points out that Peggy Reevs offers an
alternative account that challenges Sherry Ortner's claim
(1). Morover as Slvia Bowebank has pointed out claiming to
speak in the name of nature or true nature is problematic,
even when such claims are made by women(2).
The term capitalist partiarchy is
used throught the book so
frequently that it becomes a cliche.She does not examine in
depth the relationship between patriarchy and other other
relations of production/reproduction. Non-western societies
or cultures need not be looked as ideals or as the
alternatives to western capitalist patriarchy for they may
susbscribe to the logic of man/woman=nature in one way or
other. Throught the book as one comes across uncritical
comments or observations of various struggles,indigenous
communities, and critics and some of them are suggested as
alternatives.But the issues are more complex than what the
author presumes. For instance she is critical of the usage
of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and warns against
its use by Multinational etc.But as aarticles in an issue of
Cultural Survival pointed out the indigenous communities are
using information gathered by using GIS as well as
traditional knowledge to stake their claims and fight for
their rights. Although her critiques of Deep Ecology etc are
well meaning it seems that she fails to notice that both Deep
Ecology and Ecofeminism need not necessarily be antagnostic.
Recent interviews with Arne Naess (published in Alternatives,
Capitalism, Nature, Socialism) confirm this.Further
ecofeminsm and deep ecology despite different views the
ecofeminst project is not inconsistent with goals of deep
ecology.
frequently that it becomes a cliche.She does not examine in
depth the relationship between patriarchy and other other
relations of production/reproduction. Non-western societies
or cultures need not be looked as ideals or as the
alternatives to western capitalist patriarchy for they may
susbscribe to the logic of man/woman=nature in one way or
other. Throught the book as one comes across uncritical
comments or observations of various struggles,indigenous
communities, and critics and some of them are suggested as
alternatives.But the issues are more complex than what the
author presumes. For instance she is critical of the usage
of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and warns against
its use by Multinational etc.But as aarticles in an issue of
Cultural Survival pointed out the indigenous communities are
using information gathered by using GIS as well as
traditional knowledge to stake their claims and fight for
their rights. Although her critiques of Deep Ecology etc are
well meaning it seems that she fails to notice that both Deep
Ecology and Ecofeminism need not necessarily be antagnostic.
Recent interviews with Arne Naess (published in Alternatives,
Capitalism, Nature, Socialism) confirm this.Further
ecofeminsm and deep ecology despite different views the
ecofeminst project is not inconsistent with goals of deep
ecology.
Nothwithstanding these
observations this is a significant
work and will further the debate between ecofeminists and
others.Her work is an important contribution to the
Ecofeminist discourse.
work and will further the debate between ecofeminists and
others.Her work is an important contribution to the
Ecofeminist discourse.
References:
(1)Zimmerman,Michael E
(1994).Contesting Earth's
Future:
Radical Ecology and Postmodernity.Berkeley,University of
California Press
Radical Ecology and Postmodernity.Berkeley,University of
California Press
(2)Bowerbank,Sylvia
(1996).Does Woman Speak For Nature?
Towards a Genealogy of Ecological Feminisms in Between
Monsters Goddesses and Cyborgs (Eds) Nina Lykke , Rosi
Braidotti, Zed Books,London
Towards a Genealogy of Ecological Feminisms in Between
Monsters Goddesses and Cyborgs (Eds) Nina Lykke , Rosi
Braidotti, Zed Books,London
K.Ravi Srinivas
(The published version is slightly different
from the above text)
