Ecofeminism as a Pedagogical Project: Women, Nature, and Education

Abstract

In this essay, Huey‐li Li inquires into how ecofeminist analyses of the woman‐nature affinity call for the rectification of polarized conceptions of “nature.” By attending to the interconnections between various forms of oppression, Li argues, ecofeminism sheds light on how gender ideology influences our worldview and the construction of educational institutions. Above all, she contends, ecofeminism as a pedagogical project emphasizes ethical activism within oppressive contexts. The recent development of ecofeminism, in particular, represents a collaborative feminist coalition aimed at redressing interrelated oppressive systems in patriarchal societies. The transformative potential of the praxis of ecofeminism, Li concludes, lies in its mobilization of both dominant groups and subordinate groups to undertake collective educational efforts to critically examine existing social norms and to explore the possibilities of establishing new ethical norms in the global community.

Free-choice learning suited to women’s participation needs in environmental decision-making processes

“…Indeed, according to Gough, gender remains an overlooked component in many environmental education and research programmes, in the global North as much as the South (Gough 1999;Gough and Whitehouse 2003). Despite this situation, Sauve (2005) identifies the feminist viewpoint as one among many trends which have more recently emerged in environmental education, and which introduce diverse ways of practising environmental education, and ultimately, could expand the scope of environmental education (Sauve 2005;Li 2007).…”

A Holistic Approach to Education for Sustainability: Ecofeminism as a Tool to Enhance Sustainability Attitudes in Pre-service Teachers

“…These educational possibilities of ecofeminism are evident in different works. Li (2007) or Gough and Whitehouse (2019) understand that ecofeminism can be part of a pedagogical project that emphasizes ethical activism in oppressive contexts, examines established social norms or explores the possibilities of establishing new ethical norms in the global community. Harvester and Blenkinshop (2010) go a step further and propose to build ecofeminist schools, leaving behind the concept of traditional school to use a new paradigm, a ëlearning villageí (p. 128) to implement ecofeminist pedagogy.…”

Postulados éticos para una didáctica ecologista en el aula. Frente al escepticismo ecológico, responsabilidad educativa, responsabilidad política

“…Para llevar esta teoría al aula se pueden trazar análisis ecofeministas que muestren la afinidad mujer-naturaleza conforme a las concepciones polarizadas de la "naturaleza" (Li, 2007). Así, el ecofeminismo permite atender a las interconexiones entre varias formas de opresión, de tal forma que arroja luz sobre cómo la ideología de género influye en nuestra cosmovisión pudiendo enfatizar el activismo ético.…”