Feminism or death

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Feminism or death
AuthorFrançoise d'Eaubonne
TranslatorRuth A. Hottell
CountryFrance
PublisherP. Horay, Verso Books
Publication date
1974
Published in English
2022
ISBN9781839764400

Feminism or death (French: Le Féminisme ou la mort) is a book of essays about ecofeminism by Françoise d´Eaubonne.[1] In it, d'Eaubonne first coined the term ecofeminism (l'eco-féminisme),[2] which conceptualizes the apparent linkage between the treatment of women and the environment.[3]

The book was published in 1974 by P. Horay, and an English translation by Ruth A. Hottell was released by Verso Books in 2022.[4]

d´Eaubonne shows the commonality between the suppression of women and the suppression of nature.[5][6]

Background[edit]

D'Eaubonne's activism began early, with her involvement in the anti-Nazi resistance and later the Women's Liberation Movement. Though she was not a scholar, she was educated through her activism.[7] After witnessing the advancement of feminism in the United States as well as France's involvement in the League of Women's Rights, she believed that the concept of feminism must be adapted to modern society.[8]

D'Eaubonne stated that the ecological events that had occurred since 1974, the year she began writing, had illustrated the necessity of defining the linkage between environmental and feminist struggles, which she calls "the double problem".[9] At the time, the environmental concerns from threats of nuclear war struck concern in d'Eaubonne.[10] She also mentions emerging problems such as famine, pollution, and deforestation that were harming the environment on a global scale.[11]

Synopsis[edit]

D'Eaubonne begins by summarizing the treatment of women across the globe, utilizing "feminitude" to describe the universal tragedy of being a woman, who is discriminated against by male-dominated powers.[12] She continues by defining two major threats of death: overpopulation and environmental destruction.[13] She proceeds to explain how both of these threats are fueled by the suppression of women and their bodies as well as the exploitation of the environment by a patriarchal society.[14][15]

After establishing this connection, d'Eaubonne calls feminists to action, ordering the integration of their cause with environmentalism to achieve a future of sustainability and equality.[16] She believes this parallel exploitation is a matter of life or death, suggesting that it is beyond a matter of revolution, but of "mutation"—a dismantling of the systems of power themselves.[17]

D'Eaubonne suggests solutions to overpopulation, such as increased access to contraceptives and abortion. However, the true solution to the problem, she claims, is the destruction of male power by women in favor of an egalitarian society. This, she says, is the "mutation" that will repair the world.[18][19]

Criticism[edit]

Within Feminism or Death, d'Eaubonne compares the discrimination of women to other marginalized groups, including homosexuals, Jews, and Black men.[20] Critics have argued that the inclusion of this comparison is a dramatic simplification that does not reflect the extent of the oppressive system in modern-day society.[21]

Feminism or Death has also been criticized for its lack of intersectionality and narrow-minded perception of women and the environment. Critics claim this diminishes the ideas expressed in the piece since they cannot be universally applied.[22]

Bibliography[edit]

Further reading[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "All you ever wanted to know about ecofeminism". 2020-02-21. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ Glazebrook, Trish (September 2002). "Karen Warren's Ecofeminism". Ethics & the Environment. 7 (2): 12–26. doi:10.2979/ETE.2002.7.2.12.
  3. ^ Fox, Karen M. (January 1994). "Negotiating in a World of Change: Ecofeminist Guideposts for Leisure Scholarship". Journal of Leisure Research. 26 (1): 41. doi:10.1080/00222216.1994.11969943. ProQuest 1308690870. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  4. ^ "FEMINISM OR DEATH - ECOFEMINISM TODAY: A panel celebrating the new French and English editions of Françoise d'Eaubonne's groundbreaking 1974 text, "Le féminisme ou la mort". - Fira Literal 2023" (in Catalan). Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  5. ^ "Françoise d´Eaubonne's Le Féminisme ou la Mort". Environment & Society Portal. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  6. ^ "The racial capitalist climate patriarchy". theecologist.org. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  7. ^ Bahaffou, Myriam; Gorecki, Julie (17 March 2022). "What an Ecofeminist Pioneer Can Teach Us Today". Literary Hub. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  8. ^ d'Eaubonne, Françoise; Hottell, Ruth A.; Merchant, Carolyn (2022). Feminism or death. London New York: Verso. ISBN 9781839764400. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  9. ^ Féminisme ou La mort (Le) (in French).
  10. ^ Bahaffou, Myriam; Gorecki, Julie (17 March 2022). "What an Ecofeminist Pioneer Can Teach Us Today". Literary Hub. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  11. ^ Roth-Johnson, Danielle (2013). "Back to the Future: Françoise dEaubonne, Ecofeminism and Ecological Crisis". The International Journal of Literary Humanities. 10 (3): 51–61. doi:10.18848/2327-7912/CGP/v10i03/58290. ProQuest 2713896744. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  12. ^ Li, Miao (2023). "Feminism or death: How the Women's Movement Can Save the Planet by Françoise D'Eaubonne (review)". Women in French Studies. 31 (1): 162–163. doi:10.1353/wfs.2023.a909492. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  13. ^ Gates, Barbara T. (1994). "A Root of Ecofeminism Ecoféminisme". ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment. 3 (1): 7–16. JSTOR 44085413. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  14. ^ Li, Miao (2023). "Feminism or death: How the Women's Movement Can Save the Planet by Françoise D'Eaubonne (review)". Women in French Studies. 31 (1): 162–163. doi:10.1353/wfs.2023.a909492. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  15. ^ Valera, Luca (2018). "Françoise d'Eaubonne and Ecofeminism: Rediscovering the Link between Women and Nature". In Vakoch, Douglas A.; Mickey, Sam (eds.). Women and Nature?: Beyond Dualism in Gender, Body, and Environment. New York: Routledge. pp. 10–23. ISBN 9780367152406.
  16. ^ Rigby, Kate (2018). "Women and Nature Revisited: Ecofeminist Reconfigurations of an Old Association". Feminist Ecologies: 57–81. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-64385-4_4. ISBN 978-3-319-64384-7. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  17. ^ Li, Miao (2023). "Feminism or death: How the Women's Movement Can Save the Planet by Françoise D'Eaubonne (review)". Women in French Studies. 31 (1): 162–163. doi:10.1353/wfs.2023.a909492. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  18. ^ Li, Miao (2023). "Feminism or death: How the Women's Movement Can Save the Planet by Françoise D'Eaubonne (review)". Women in French Studies. 31 (1): 162–163. doi:10.1353/wfs.2023.a909492. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  19. ^ Zein, Laila Fariha; Setiawan, Adib Rifqi (28 August 2017). "General Overview of Ecofeminism". doi:10.31219/osf.io/fmjgk. Retrieved 2 December 2023. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  20. ^ d'Eaubonne, Françoise; Hottell, Ruth A.; Merchant, Carolyn (2022). Feminism or death. London New York: Verso. ISBN 9781839764400. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  21. ^ Li, Miao (2023). "Feminism or death: How the Women's Movement Can Save the Planet by Françoise D'Eaubonne (review)". Women in French Studies. 31 (1): 162–163. doi:10.1353/wfs.2023.a909492. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  22. ^ Champion, Giulia (18 September 2022). "Francophone Literature and Ecofeminism". In Vakoch, Douglas A. (ed.). The Routledge Handbook of Ecofeminism and Literature (1 ed.). New York: Routledge. pp. 167–176. doi:10.4324/9781003195610-16. ISBN 9781003195610. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  23. ^ Féminisme ou La mort (Le) (in French).
  24. ^ "Le féminisme ou La mort par Eaubonne, Françoise d' | COOP UQAM". www.coopuqam.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  25. ^ Cummins, Eleanor; Schreiber, Melody; Schreiber, Melody; Martin, Nick; Martin, Nick; Livingstone, Jo; Livingstone, Jo; Aronoff, Kate; Aronoff, Kate (2022-03-31). "Is Ecofeminism Due for a Comeback?". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  26. ^ "The Faces of Ecofeminism: Women Promoting Gender Equality and Climate Justice Worldwide". Global Citizen. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  27. ^ Revelator, The (2022-08-09). "Saving Mother Earth: New Books About Feminism and Women Protecting the Planet". EcoWatch. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
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