Ecofeminism without nature?

Abstract

The essay 'Eco/Feminism, Non-Violence and the Future of Feminism' takes on an important issue within ecofeminism and feminist theory generally - the relationship between maternalism, pacifism, ecofeminism, and essentialism - arguing for new ways of reading 'eco/feminist' activism as an engaged mode of theory. Ironically, even though the purpose of the peace camp in Clayoquot Sound was to protest the logging of the rainforest, this essay does not examine the meaning of nature or environmentalism for the protestors. Nature becomes a mere background for the gendered human drama that unfolds. It is crucial that we interrogate the grounds, purposes, and consequences of linking environmentalism and feminism, by analyzing specific articulations within particular places and contexts. Whether or not it is beneficial to merge feminism and environmentalism remains an open question. © 2008 Taylor & Francis.