Ecological engineering Book

This is a must-have reference book for all vegan feminists/ecofeminists/intersectional vegans. Encompassing many of the leading ecofeminist critiques, the big shots of ecofeminist theory are present here. Unlike other ecofeminist publications, this volume features many leading vegan feminists and Nonhuman Animals are nearly always included. This is a primarily theoretical contribution, considering what ecofeminism means and how it fits in the larger field of environmental ethics. Birkeland's "Ecofeminism: Linking Theory and Practice" explores the theory in general, but with such widereaching impact (discussing the political realm, militarization, corruptible leadership, etc), I felt reinvigorated by the theory.

This book also takes on the androcentrism and, to a lesser extent, the white-centrism of animal rights theory. In this, I felt I received a convincing argument from this book. I have always been torn on the patriarchal/white supremacist origin of "rights" and how applicable it is for animals. While I still consider myself an advocate of rights for other animals, I have a much more nuanced understanding of what that entails having read this book.

Part of this criticism of androcentric thought is a spotlight on the problems with science as an institution. I remain unconvinced that reason and rationality cannot be useful in determining our activism. After all, the emotions and "intuition" that feminists espouse are products of oppressive culture, too. For that matter, they aren't inherently any better or accurate. Reason and emotion are interlocking, and it is better for advocates to be aware of how both are at play, rather than denigrating or denying the existence of one or the other. The failure to embrace women's own rationality and propensity for scientific inquiry and skepticism created an uncomfortable reinforcement of the binary. There was a presumption that women are not products of culture but are somehow naturally more spiritual and emotional. One refreshing chapter on the Chinese perspective did challenge this in highlighting how Eastern cultures have a holistic relationship with nature, and yet misogyny is also a problem in the East. As a lifelong atheist and scientist, I felt completely alienated. Am I not a true feminist because I do not worship the Goddess or because I sometimes follow my head as well as my heart in moral matters? More nuance is needed to embrace the complexity of all humans, regardless of ascribed gender roles.

To be fair, dualism is a major concern of ecofeminism, and binary thinking is regularly challenged in the book. But, in supporting this stereotypical view of womanhood, the gender binary is ultimately upheld. For that matter, there was no discussion of nonbinary or trans women. Of course this was 1993, some ten years before feminist theory would begin to legitimately consider these issues, but any feminist worth her weight certainly knows that not all female-identified folks fit the measure they have envisioned. This unrealistic category of true or default womanhood was only hinted at in the chapters that pressed ecofeminism on its white and western-centrism, but it never grappled convincingly with gender imperialism outside of its regular condemnation of patriarchy.

That said, this is the go-to book for all things ecofeminist in the most fundamental sense. Vance's chapter on the "politics of reality" and Kheel's chapter on the ethicist-savior-complex in animal rights theory dramatically alters the ways in which we understand and interact with theory. Some chapters unfortunately drag, such as the chapters on intersections of race, theory, and environmental praxis which could have been much more thought-provoking. At least three chapters also took on the problem of the "Mother Earth" analogy (consensus being: they don't like it), meaning that some editorial work was needed to avoid overlap.

In any case, if you are looking for a structural discussion of animal and environmental violence with a particular focus on the politics of meaning construction, this is the book to begin with.