By drawing on the complex interplay of ecology and feminism, ecofeminists identify links between the domination of nature and the oppression of women. This volume introduces a variety of innovative approaches for advancing ecofeminist activism, demonstrating how words exert power in the world. Contributors explore the interconnections between the dualisms of nature/culture and masculine/feminine, providing new insights into sex and technology through such wide-ranging topics as canine reproduction, orangutan motherhood and energy conservation. Ecofeminist rhetorics of care address environmental problems through cooperation and partnership, rather than hierarchical subordination, encouraging forms of communication that value mutual understanding over persuasion and control. By critically examining ways that theory can help deconstruct domineering practices—exposing the underlying ideologies—a new generation of ecofeminist scholarship illuminates the transformative capacity of language to foster emancipation and liberation.

Why is ecofeminism still needed to address the environmental emergencies and challenges of our times? Ecofeminism has a chequered history in terms of its popularity and its perceived value in conceptualizing the relationship between gender and nature as well as feeding forms of activism that aim to confront the environmental challenges of the moment. This book provides a much-needed comprehensive overview of the relevance and value of using eco-feminist theories. It gives a broad coverage of traditional and emerging eco-feminist theories and explores, across a range of chapters, their various contributions and uniquely spans various strands of ecofeminist thinking. The origins of influential eco-feminist theories are discussed including key themes and some of its leading figures (contributors include Erika Cudworth, Greta Gaard, Trish Glazebrook and Niamh Moore), and outlines its influence on how scholars might come to a more generative understanding of the natural environment. The book examines eco-feminism’s potential contribution for advancing current discussions and research on the relationships between the humans and more than humans that share our world. This timely volume makes a distinctive scholarly contribution and is a valuable resources for students and academics in the fields of environmentalism, political ecology, sustainability and nature resource management.

Discusses ecofeminism in the context of the social, political and ecological consequences of globalization. The book includes case studies, essays, theoretical works, and articles on ecofeminist movements from many of the world''s regions including Taiwan, Mexico, Kenya, Chile, India, Brazil, Canada, England and the United States.

There are countless ways of thinking, feeling, and acting like an ecofeminist. Ecofeminism includes a plurality of perspectives, thriving in dialogue between diverse theories and practices involving ecological and feminist matters of concern. Deepening the dialogue, the contributors in this anthology explore critical and complementary interactions between ecofeminism and other areas of inquiry, including ecocriticism, postcolonialism, geography, environmental law, religion, geoengineering, systems thinking, family therapy, and more. This volume aims to further the cultural and literary theories of ecofeminism by situating them in conversation with other interpretations and analyses of intersections between environment, gender, and culture. This anthology is a unique combination of contemporary, interdisciplinary, and global perspectives in dialogue with ecofeminism, supporting academic and activist efforts to resist oppression and domination and cultivate care and justice.

This was a hermeneutic phenomenological ecofeminist study of a process called the Group Nature Mandala. the activity involves a group of people coming together to create, improvisationally, a mandala made of natural objects. Upon completion, the process is then used to facilitate dialogue. the purpose of the research was to determine if this activity could be used as a communicative instrument, one that fosters dialogue and the spirit of community among individuals in a group, also encouraging movement from a patriarchal rhetoric to one of mutual interdependency. Literature was reviewed in the areas of ecofeminism, the effects of the mandala, where the mandala and art form meet, the paradigm shift from a patriarchal worldview to one of mutual interdependency, and the related rhetorics. the Group Nature Mandala was offered at a number of events, including academic conferences, undergraduate classes, a retreat for organizational development consultants, a church service, a summer institute, and a fifth grade class. Descriptive narratives were written by the primary researcher. Co-researchers provided data in the form of responses to open-ended questionnaires, letters, and interviews. In asking participants the question, What has been your experience with the Nature Mandala?, the following themes emerged: the creation of a sense of group belonging; a space for speaking and listening; heart-centered communication; the creation of a safe, relaxing, free, peaceful, creative, and spiritual environment; sense of self-connectedness; the awareness of the parts as connected to the whole; and the beauty and connectedness of nature. the results of this study indicate that the process of the Group Nature Mandala can serve as the grounding for a sense of connection that leads to a safe space inviting communication. the process allows participants to actually see and experience the communicative patterns espoused in the theory of invitational rhetoric. This study has implications for educators around experientially teaching nonhierarchical, nonadversarial communication, providing an alternative to the traditional patriarchal rhetoric of persuasion. the process of the Group Nature Mandala is offered as one vehicle for practicing listening to each other, respect for diversity amidst individuality, and understanding mutual interdependency.

Examining the development of ecofeminism from the 1980s antimilitarist movement to an internationalist ecofeminism in the 1990s, Sturgeon explores the ecofeminist notions of gender, race, and nature. She moves from detailed historical investigations of important manifestations of US ecofeminism to a broad analysis of international environmental politics.

Annotation Heroic mothers defending home and hearth against a nature deformed by multinationalist corporate practice: this may be a compelling story, but it is not necessarily the source of valid feminist or ecological critique. What's missing is the democratic element, an insistence on bringing to public debate all the relations of gender and nature that such a view takes for granted. This book aims to situate a commitment to theory and politics -- that is, to democratic practice -- at the center of ecofeminism and, thus, to move toward an ecofeminism that is truly both feminist and ecological. The Good-Natured Feminist inaugurates a sustained conversation between ecofeminism and recent writings in feminist postmodernism and radical democracy. Starting with the assumption that ecofeminism is a body of democratic theory, the book tells how the movement originated in debates about "nature" in North American radical feminisms, how it then became entangled with identity politics, and how it now seeks to include nature in democratic conversation and, especially, to politicize relations between gender and nature in both theoretical and activist milieus.

With a special focus on education and underrepresented geographical locations, this book is an inclusive collection of theories, discourses, art, identities, and practices related to this discipline.