Women and Nature?

Subtitled 'beyond the dualism in gender, body and environment', this volume updates the extensive thinking on eco-feminism since the term was coined by Francoise d'Eaubonne in 1974, questioning specifically the dualism between humans and nature, men and women, subject and object, and developing a more nuanced contextual view that also rejects essentialism. The trend is away from hierarchical domination towards harmonious interaction reflecting a pluralistic and holistic view. Moving away from domination also implies the development of an ethic of care. The essays are varied and treat a number of topics, including patriarchal influence on animal stories such as The Wind in the Willows, the use of sexualised bodies even in such contexts as organisations promoting the ethical treatment of animals, and the relationship between women's body image and physical activity in natural environments. One of the most interesting essays concerns the social construction of Western contemporary motherhood, with an analysis of so-called good and bad mothers, for instance in relation to Caesareans and breastfeeding. The volume succeeds in showing the relevance of eco-feminism to the interactions between genders, bodies and environment and reminds readers of the extent to which our understanding is culturally and socially constructed.