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Ethics and the Environment, 5(1): 89-106 ISSN 1085-6633 Copyright ©1999 by JAI Press Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. Elizabeth Carlassare COMMENTARIES Socialist and Cultural Ecofeminism: Allies in Resistance INTRODUCTION Ecofeminism is a social movement and form of theoretical inquiry that resists formations of domination and seeks to construct a politics for planetary survival and social egalitarianism. In the words of Australian ecofeminist Ariel Salleh (1995, 26), "[EJcofeminists are concerned about global sustainability as much as gender justice." Ecofeminism consists in many different ideas and actions, and as a result cannot be generalized easily. That ecofeminism accommodates a diverse array of perspectives has led some feminists (most notably social ecologist and former ecofeminist Janet Biehl, [Biehl 1991]) to criticize ecofeminism on the basis that it is incoherent. Ecofeminists hold different views on how to effect social change, and on the role of Western dualism, capitalism, patriarchy, and imperialism in perpetuating ecological degradation and oppression along multiple lines, including gender, race, and class. Despite this diversity, ecofeminism is united by the commitment of its proponents to planetary survival and ending oppression. In this essay, I explore the differences and common ground between two predominant perspectives in ecofeminism, socialist and cultural ecofeminism, examining the strategies for social change and epistemological positions that arise from these perspectives . I argue against attempts by feminists and ecofeminists of materialist persuasions to dismiss all or part of ecofeminism on the basis that it is incoherent or regressive , examining the question of who such criticisms serve and suggesting alternative interpretations of ecofeminism's "regressive" moves and "incoherence." I argue that, despite their different views, ecofeminists are able to act together politically in their shared desire to end ecological degradation and foster social egalitarianDirect all correspondence to: E. Carlassare, 118 Walk Circle, Santa Cruz, CA 95060; Phone: (831) 429-1882; E-mail: carlassare@rocketmail.com 89 90 ETHICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT Vol. 5, No. 1, 2000 ism. Ecofeminism can be considered an open, flexible political and ethical alliance that does not invoke any shared, singular theoretical framework or epistemology. Finally , I emphasize the variability of the strategies and stakes involved in ecological activism by women and the necessity of recognizing the context specificity of different ecofeminist actions. ECOLOGICAL DEGRADATION AS A FEMINIST ISSUE Some ecofeminists fight for women's access to the material resources that sustain daily life or for the cleanup of toxic wastes. Others fight for women's reproductive freedom or against nuclear power and weapons. Some develop alternative ecological ethics. Some write new stories about the past. Some about the future . Ecofeminism recognizes that ecological problems are social and cultural problems . Ecofeminists, unlike more mainstream feminists, do not demand equal access to and standing in the "belly of the monster" (Haraway 1992).2 Instead, they call for social changes that foster egalitarian social relations and believe that such changes are a prerequisite for an ecologically healthy society. Much of ecofeminism is sensitive to the circulation of power in culture, language, and history and seeks to intervene in formations of domination in the service of promoting egalitarianism. Many ecofeminists share the perception that the oppression of women and ecological degradation are connected in that they both arise "within a society whose fundamental model of relationships continues to be one of domination" (Ruether 1975). To many ecofeminists, ecological threats to life are multilayered feminist issues. Although some feminists and many ecofeminists agree that ecological degradation and the oppression of women are linked, many debate just what those links are and what to make of them. Ecofeminism is often associated exclusively with pagan spirituality, goddess worship, and the idea that social and ecological change occur through personal transformation and changes in consciousness and culture, rather than changes in economic and political relations. Much of ecofeminism, however, is materialist in orientation in the sense that changes in relations of production and social and biological reproduction are seen as the basis for social change. Ecofeminism, then, seeks a social and cultural transformation through new spiritualities and personal change, as well as through material changes, such as the end of capitalism and commodity culture, the beginning of nonstatist forms of socialism, the preferential consumption of...

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