Ecofeminism and Just Leisure in the 21st Century

Karla A. HendersonMay, 18, 2012

Salt Lake City, Utah

My Journey to Ecofeminism

• Equal Rights

• Learning from Grad Students

• Radical Feminism

• Interests in Outdoors and Feminism

Purpose of Paper

• “Spaces and places integral to instituting a more just world”

• Strengths and weaknesses of ecofeminisms• Possibilities for knowing more about leisure• Connecting social and environmental justice

through “gender justice”• Questions for further discussion

Ecofeminisms Defined• An ecophilosophy• Connects humans and

nature• Philosophical, spiritual,

theoretical, critical, practical• Premise that the

oppression/domination of women connected to/with the oppression/domination of the earth

Patriarchy Dualisms

• Male/Female • Nature/Nurture

Inadequacies

Feminism not addressing EnvironmentEnvironmentalists not addressing Women’s Issues

UNITING WOMEN AND EARTH

All acts should focus on respect for, and the diversity of, humans and the life enhance of natural environments

Just Leisure

• Social Justice – a society where the distribution of resources is equitable and all members are psychologically and physically safe and secure

• Environmental Justice – fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people related to the development and enforcement of laws, regulations, and policies regarding the environment

Power and Privilege

Inclusivity

Denying differences denies differences in power and resources

Critiques of Ecofeminism

• Idealistic• Essentialist• Scapegoating Men• Too much focus on women’s nurturance

Question

Would a nonsexist society imply an ecologically benign

society?

Incorporating Feminisms

• Connection between social and environmental justice

• Awareness of ideas/raise consciousness• Way to examine language• Lens to examine policies• Potential elitism of outdoors

Possibilities in Leisure Fields

• Doing the right thing• Socially and

environmentally responsible leisure

• Questions domination of anyone/anything

COMMENTS?QUESTIONS?