Ecofeminism Reading Cycle (S21)
Feminism and environmental issues have many convergences that are strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing. These convergences have to do, especially, with the sources and consequences of oppression, domination, dualism, colonization and exploitation, as they underlie problematic power structures and relations still prevalent today. In this reading cycle, we want to cover some of the basic ideas of Ecofeminism and Feminist Environmental Philosophy more broadly and approach some of the contributions made by women philosophers and activists in this field, especially in the last decades. Some of the questions we want to discuss are:
- How to understand the different positions on Ecofeminism/Feminist Environmental Philosophy; both historically and systematically?
- What are some of the claims that feminist and environmental theories have in common?
- Do these claims respond to the same source of domination, both gender and environmental?
- Is it possible and/or sensible to draw a parallel between human/nature and man/woman?
- Could a plurality of common struggles lead to more inclusive and effective responses to feminist and environmental issues?
When: Wednesdays every other week from 15:00 – 17:00
Where: Zoom (links will be provided)
Schedule & Material:
17.03. The Power and the Promise of Ecological Feminism (1990). Karen J. Warren
31.03. Ecofeminism (1993). Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva. Part 4
14.04. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature (1994). Val Plumwood. Part 1
28.04. Ecofeminism and the Eating of Animals (1992). Carol J. Adams
12.05. Sexist Words, Speciesist Root (1995). Joan Dunayer
26.05. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature (2013). Donna Haraway. Part 2
09.06. Undoing Nature: Coalition Building as Queer Environmentalism (2010). Katie Hogan
23.06. Ecofeminism Revisited: Rejecting Essentialism and Re-Placing Species in a Material Feminist Environmentalism (2011). Greta Gaard
07.07. Four Directions for environmental Humanities - Towards critical Posthumanities for the Anthropocene (2015). Astrida N., Cecilia A., Johan H.
Complementary reading:
- Anthropocene Feminism (2017). Richard Grusin (ed.)
- The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution by the renowned feminist historian (1980). Cathryn Merchant.
Prior knowledge on debates in Environmental Philosophy or Feminism is not necessary. The idea is to create an informal platform to explore the texts together.
If you want to participate, please contact sarah.espinosa@univie.ac.at so she can send you the texts and the Zoom links.
Looking forward to reading and discussing with you!