To my readers and fellow classmates, hello. I hope you are all personally doing well and learning to cope with the situation at hand. Remember, do not neglect your mental health/ self-care.
This post will be discussing the fundamentals and importance of intersectionality and ecofeminism (in case the title didn’t give it away). In all seriousness, this topic is very important to me. It reminds me of the stressful period in high school where I was prompted to write a college essay explaining who I was or something I have been through/overcame. I remember thinking; “What is the one experience in my life that could accurately define me? What is one story I could share that would help explain who I am in this moment?” I ended up writing several pieces and willing my teachers to pick the best one- as if they could decide what sounded the most compelling about me. It was quite an experience, one I’m assuming we all share.
Let’s backtrack for a minute. What is intersectionality? In my own definition, it is the cross-overs of social issues or systems of oppression. It is a more accurate lens in which to view social distresses, one that bridges them together. In Intersectionality and the Changing Face of Ecofeminsim, A.E. Kings explains the origin of the term:
“The term intersectionality, which is generally attributed to Kimberlé Crenshaw, began as a metaphorical and conceptual tool used to highlight the inability of a single-axis framework to capture the lived experiences of black women.” (63)
Indeed, this term was coined when Crenshaw fought for the Black Feminist perspective. Her case reflected a intersectionality of oppression including race and gender, not either or.
“Reflecting upon one’s position, especially when speaking from a point of privilege, helps to avoid the unintentional marginalization of other groups or identities, as was the case with black women in the feminist and anti-racist movements.” (63, 64)
Being able to ask the other question, as the excerpt puts it, is an essential skill to develop when considering (eco)feminist theories. It works to keep us aware of our own privilege as well as the varies systems of oppression that work against us. Intersectionality helps us to expand our identities and bridge together our similarities as well as our differences. There is not one person I know that would be content with defining themselves under one umbrella of identification. I am more than a woman, therefore, there is more at work than my gender that impacts my life here in the U.S.
My professor uploaded this image for our viewing:
Kings wrote:
“Each spoke of the web represent[s] a continuum of different types of social categorisation such as gender, sexuality, race, or class; while encircling spirals depict individual identities. The spirals collide with each spoke at a different level of the continuum, illustrating the context-specific privilege or discrimination experienced by the individual.” (65)
Moreover, during the second week of our course, we learned about ecofeminist principles from The Ecology of Feminist and the Feminism of Ecology (1989) by Ynestra King. The second one being:
“Life on earth is an interconnected web, not a hierarchy. There is no natural hierarchy; human hierarchy is projected onto nature and then used to justify social domination. Therefore, ecofeminist theory seeks to show the connections between all forms of domination, including the domination of nonhuman nature, and ecofeminist practice is necessarily antihierarchical.”
These quotes are important to consider because both place an emphasis on the social structure of oppression. We must not place our separates pains on a scale from 1-10. Pain is pain, and thereby, oppression is oppression. There is no hierarchy when considering the former. I like this illustration of the web because it signifies a mutual, level ground. It shows that our oppressions are intersecting, meaning they are connected to one another. We cannot address one system of oppression if we cannot address all of them. Crenshaw demonstrated that as well.
Ecofeminist theory is also a demonstration of exercising the tools of intersectionality.
” Ecofeminism recognizes the ethical interconnection of the domination of women and the domination and exploitation of nature. The historical precedent which separates and sets humans above nature is also responsible for enforcing the ‘violent rupture’ between humankind and nature—which helps to render humanity ignorant of its duty towards the natural environment and the non-human other. ” (69)
Kings is highlighting the negative affects of constructing a social hierarchy on the basis of gender, it not only affects humans as a whole, but the environment as well. My last post shows evidence of environmental degradation and exploitation in connection to women. Remember Standing Rock. These issues do not stand alone. neither are they obsolete.
Lastly, I included Beyoncé’s “Formation” video because it “alone depicts how the intersections of oppression in environmental racism and sexism have occurred and will continue to in the face of climate change.” (Cain, Black Feminist Though 2016). Please enjoy, stay sharp, and be safe.
Everything in love,
Cece X
https://muse-jhu-edu.libproxy.umassd.edu/article/660551
The Ecology of Feminist and the Feminism of Ecology (1989) by Ynestra King.
Hi, Cece great point you made in your post. I too was interested in some of the points that King had highlighted in her work. King really expresses nicely who the whole world is interconnected, and that as humans we generally see ourselves as outside of the animal world instead of a part of it. In order to better serve the world that we live in it is important to change humans’ viewpoint of this subject, we must find a way to live our lives without causing so much destruction and harm that it prevents the future from being able to survive as well. The one point where I disagree with King is “There is no natural hierarchy; human hierarchy is projected onto nature and then used to justify social domination. Therefore, ecofeminist theory seeks to show the connections between all forms of domination, including the domination of nonhuman nature, and ecofeminist practice is necessarily antihierarchical.”(King). Although, I think she is correct in saying that the hierarchy in humans may not be necessary, and or breeds dominant nature and oppression; but by all means, I do not think that it makes it unnatural, or inhumane. In nature, in the wild, there is and has always been a hierarchy, the shark swims alone and is feared throughout the ocean by most. Lions in the wild project a sense of domination over their lands, where no animal would die to challenge them, one of the only things that truly challenge the pack leader of lions is another lions. This challenge pushes the animals to not get content or leader to get lazy, he must protect his pride for himself and the rest of them to survive. Hierarchy, although it does breed some inequalities, does come with its benefits. If man had not attempted to ascend to the top of the animal kingdom hierarchy than all animals would be safe, the world would mostly exist without the threat of man’s pollutants, but humans would also still be killed by disease, living in caves, and have the potential to be someone else dinner any night of the week. First by saying hierarchy is mans game or creation would be wrong because of the heirachies that exist in almost every other animal group, arguably planet group, ecosystems. To discredit humans’ ability to move up the food chain, decrease their amount of predators in the food web, and eventually locate the species outside of the food web would be insulting to the species as a whole. There is something to be said about the idea of survival of the fittest, leading to evolution, inevitably making the species stronger, reproduce, and in the animal world reproduction and the next generation are the name of the game. I personally do not think a form of hierarchy is bad, forcing people to compete for a higher spot leads to advancements across all fields of research. I think what most negatively impact humans is the stigma that women can’t do something, especially mentally or skill-based goals (there are actual physical limitations that can be easily identified between average men and women), or the attempt to set up obstacles for them to succeed. These obstacle or stigma prevent a whole 50% of the human population from contributing to the cause, this 50% of the population could breed a countless number of scientific, medical, technological, or whatever else advancements. I believe the goal shouldn’t be to eliminate hierarchy and live in a time where lawlessness prevails, that would be anarchy and lead to a general deuteration of society. The goal should be to empower not only women but all beings, to help produce as many capable persons as possible to help aid humans in the fight for survival and prosperous future.