I want to unsubscribe. Mike Fournier
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Mar 13 09:10:17 MST 1995
From: Mark Peterson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: new list...and i want to talk about animals too!
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 10:10:24 -0600 (CST)
In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> from "Swarr
Amanda Lock" at Mar 11, 95 09:45:16 pm
Swarr Amanda Lock <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
[...]
> I am interested in talking about personal politics, and I realize that for
> some people spirituality is part of this; however, I also wonder why we
> (including me) never seem to discuss activism, distinctions between branches
> of ecofeminism, and other more "academic" issues.
<snip>
> Me request to the group is: let's move past our spiritual differences
> and similarities and begin to discuss practically how we can
> stop the tide of current events relating to ecofeminism.
I should like to echo Amanda's sentiment. It is certainly a good idea
to find a grounding spirituality, but eco-feminism*s* notwithstanding
ecofeminism as a list title suggests applying the feminist critique of
patriarchy to questions about the environment. I think it would be
fun and useful to talk about that.
The bottom line here is that there is no way to evaluate the value of
differing spiritual grounds -- as these are not themselves rational --
but there *is* a way of determining the ground of ecological
valuations, and ecofeminism is one of the best.
We should do some of that. Comparing rituals is a lovely way of
sharing experience, but I'm not sure it'll work on Commonwealth
Edison, Exxon, or Newt. There are politics and ethics that must flow
from a deeply held spiritual sense and these are the things we *can*
talk about and evaluate clearly.
Let's.
my 2 cents.
hiho
--
mark ce peterson, philosophy "Hey, this isn't Diet Pepsi
university of wisconsin centers -- it's samadhi!"
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Mar 13 09:16:17 MST 1995
From: Mark Peterson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: the earth as mother
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 10:16:24 -0600 (CST)
In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> from "Swarr
Amanda Lock" at Mar 12, 95 11:25:23 am
Amanda wrote:
> I just wanted to express my feelings on the popular sentiment of many on
> this list of the earth as mother. As an ecofeminist, I find this
> sentiment counter-productive to the utopian world-view I am working
> toward. I think that the representation of a female earth aggravates
> masculine/feminine dualisms and gender roles that I would rather not
> uphold.
I'd go further and note that 'Mother Earth' is itself a socially
constructed framework that continues the same oppressive patriarchical
mind-set it seeks to overcome. Mother Earth once again equates women
solely with the material and thus as lacking the rational part of
their souls. This sounds like a compliment, but it is part of the
same oppressive social construction that equates males with reason and
culture and women with emotions and 'the natural'.
I'd argue that women who use this phrase are caught in the very
dichotomous consciousness they seek to escape.
> Personally, I am interested in stopping the degradation of the
> environment because of a sense of social responsibility, as well as out of
> respect for the power of the earth, but _not_ because I see the earth
> gendered as female or as personified.
Well put.
At the risk of really invoking the goddess, has anyone read or know if
Helen Smith has published in this yet? All of her doctoral work
danced with this issue.
hiho
--
mark ce peterson, philosophy "Hey, this isn't Diet Pepsi
university of wisconsin centers -- it's samadhi!"
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Mar 13 10:20:52 MST 1995
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 12:20:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Michelle_Covi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sender: Michelle_Covi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: Michelle_Covi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Who owns ecofeminism?
Hi!
I have been monitoring the discussion of the new list and the apparent
rifts that we have as a group concerning whether it is useful to discuss
spirituality or rituals or activism or philosphical constructions of
ecology, ethics and feminism. Personally, I have an interest in all of
these areas and experience with a few. Perhaps I am naive, but I look at
a list such as this like a large conference or party where lots of
different conversations may be going on at once. Perhaps not everyone
wants to be in each conversation or workshop, but someone starts the ball
rolling and sees if anyone is interested in picking it up.
This reminds me of an article in the new issue of "Ms." by Susan Faludi.
Some women recently have written books, calling themselves feminists, but
disagreeing with the older established feminists. It makes me wonder who
*owns* the title feminist? For the sake of our discussion, who *owns*
ecofeminism?
The books that I have read on the subject of ecofeminism like "Reweaving
the World" and "Healing the Wounds" have a significant spiritual
component as well as a political and philosophical component. For me, the
rational/emotional dichotomy doesn't work. Perhaps for you it does. I am
all for reaching common ground, or at least realizing that everyone
approaches their convictions differently. At least I hope we all have
similar convictions- to protect and conserve our planet (mother or not).
As for rituals, they need not be tied to a particular religion (although
they certainly can as well). Spending a weekend morning picking up litter
may be a ritual if it is important to you, and it is a personal type of
activism. While I am glad to see posts for specific meetings and letter
writing campaigns since we are spread across the country, we cannot
attend them all and use this space to think globally.
Michelle Covi
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Mar 13 11:30:38 MST 1995
sendmail 4.1/CSUSM-GW-1.2
Mon, 13 Mar 95 10:42:23 PST for [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 10:31:40 -0800 (PST)
From: Monique Flannagan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: signoff
I want to unsubscribe. Monique Flannagan
