Ideology of Environmental Domination Chapter 6 Ideology of

Ideology of Environmental Domination Chapter 6

Ideology of Environmental Domination • Explores ideological origins of view that humans can and should transform the environment for their own purposes. • Three main traditions provide ideological rationale for environmental domination – Christianity – Individualism – Patriarchy © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Christianity • Ideas about capitalism, consumption, social status, etc… stem from Christianity • Protestant ethic emphasized being one of the ‘elect’ by maximizing their worldly signs of ‘moral worth’ • Trend toward work, rationalization, and production created ‘treadmill of production’ • Protestant ethic became spirit of capitalism © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Protestantism and Capitalism • Modern capitalism first arose in dominantly protestant countries. • Least developed countries are still least protestant. • Today – religion no longer dominant driving force behind modern capitalism. • Economic and technical structures now more important in spread of capitalism. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Moral Parallels of Christianity, Science, and Technology • Economy, science, and technology have religious origins • Development of powered machines, moldboard plow, etc… • Insert figure 6. 3 here – Changed man’s relation to the land/soil © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Moral Parallels of Christianity, Science, and Technology • Man became ‘exploiter’ of nature – standing above nature • Christian ethic - anthropocentric – saw God and saints as transcendent above nature © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Greener Side of Christianity • Christianity often at odds with science – Church authority often threatened by science • i. e. : genetic engineering, stem cell research • Christianity is geographically and ideologically diverse • More aptly describe ideas that support domination of environment as underlying philosophies of the Western world, not Christianity alone – Supportive of domination and transformation of environment © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Non-Western Philosophies • Very different from Western views • Emphasis on promotion of egalitarian relationships with Earth, acceptance of environment as is • Taoism; advises wu-wei (non-action) – Working with nature, not against it • BUT, ascetism and rationalism also present in non-western cultures, not unique to West © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Individualism • Emphasis on self over the wider community – Long been central dimension of the Western tradition • Does not prepare us to recognize how interconnected we all are with our wider surroundings • Tend to ignore consequences of our actions for our wider surroundings, and often ourselves. • Understand emphasis on self in competitive and hierarchical ways. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Individualism, Body, and Ecology • Bakhtin – individualism deeply influences the way we regard the main medium for how we are connected to the environment: our body • Individualism encourages us to see our body as sealed off from natural world – Bodily functions as vulgar, repulsive, dirty © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Carnivalesque Body • Body of interconnections and exchanges with the social and natural environment. – Openings and protrusions connect us with other bodies and world around us. • Emphasis on body’s “lower stratum” • An ecological body, forever interacting and exchanging with natural systems © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Classical Body • Body of separation from society and nature. – Orifices hidden from view or controlled via rituals that de-emphasize their openness. • Does not perform basic bodily functions, at least openly. • Emphasis is on body’s “upper stratum. ” • Body’s means of ecological connection is shameful. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Carnivalesque Body • Carnival was time of connection, everyone joined in celebration. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Nature as Offensive • Evidence in modern forms of politeness – Eat with cutlery, eat with mouth closed, standards of home cleanliness, bodily acts confined to closed private spaces. • Signs of social hierarchy – To be elite, you separate yourself from common people – Separation from nature and bodily functions is convincing way to make that separation. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Balancing Ecological Self and Ecological Community • Not all concern for sanitation and medical intervention is product of individualism. • Image of body and ecological separation is not purely Western phenomenon. – Characteristic of elites all over world. • Need sense of balance between carnivalesque and classical. – Social changes suggest a connection between environmental awareness and bodily awareness © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Changing Views of Body and Nature • Social changes suggest a broadening connection between environmental awareness and bodily awareness. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Gender and Environmental Domination • Gender relations form another source of domineering attitudes toward environment. • Common metaphors to describe environment and our interactions with it – sexual and militaristic – ‘virgin forests’, ‘fertility’ of soil, abuse of environment as ‘raping the land’ © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Ecology of Patriarchy • Ideological link between domination of nature and domination of women. • Patriarchal ideas pervade our thinking about society and environment – Use the same mind and culture to understand both • Common Western tendency to consider women as being closer to nature than men. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Ecology of Patriarchy • Traditions suggest that nature is female and females are more natural. • Women associated with realm of reproduction and the domestic sphere. • Men associated with production and the public sphere, realm of rationality, business. • Gendered associations imply clear hierarchy with men on top. – Encourages domination of women and environment. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Ecofeminism • Explores links between domination of women and domination of environment. – Argues that domination of environment originates together with social domination of all kinds. • Common for socially dominated groups to be linked with nature. – Lower class groups viewed as primitive. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Environmentalism and Feminism • Environmental activists often associate nature with women – “Mother Earth” • Idea is to promote positive valuation of both nature and therefore, women. • Ecofeminists argue this is problematic – Don’t want to further stereotypes of women as ‘caretakers’ for everyone else. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Ecofeminism • Point of ecofeminism is not to blame men for environmental problems. • Concerned about patriarchal system of social organization, enacted by both men and women, but results in domination of women. • Women too have been active agents in the domination of nature. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Patriarchal Dualisms • Key tenet of ecofeminism is that cultural climate of domination has been built on dualisms: – morally charged, oppositional categories with little gray area in between that deny the dependency of each upon the other. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Patriarchal Dualisms • Dualisms interlock into a larger cultural system of domination. – culture versus nature, reason versus nature, male versus female, mind versus body, etc… • In each dichotomy, first member of pair dominates over second. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Logic of Domination • Tendency to separate the world into antagonistic pairs. – Legacy of a Western us-versus-them logic. • Problem of material outcomes… – Dominated and naturalized “other” does not receive fair environmental treatment. • Patriarchy also leads to environmental oppression of men via risky behavior. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Gender Differences in Experience of Nature • Dualisms of patriarchal reasoning also affect way women and men experience environment. • Men described natural experiences using significantly more aggressive, militaristic, and violent imagery. • Women emphasized more domestic environmental vision based on experience of nurturing in nature. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Controversy over Ecofeminism • Some early ecofeminists argue women and their associations with nature should be celebrated. • Criticized for perpetuating dichotomy between men and women, negative stereotypes of women. • Reification is alienating and fatalistic. – Implies biological differences between men and women are at root of patriarchy. • Criticized for implying that “logic of domination” is mainly a feature of Western thought. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.

Ecofeminism Alternatives • New terms emerging to address criticisms and recognize gray areas, interactiveness, and interdependence of categories. – Environmental feminism – Ecological feminism – Ecogender studies • Categories not inherently wrong or bad, just need better ones than the hierarchical, socially unjust, and environmentally destructive ones of patriarchy. © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. , 2009.