Women and Indigenous People - Literature review Example

 Table of Contents A – Introduction 2 B – Discussion (i) 2 C – Discussion (ii) 6 D – Conclusion 7 E – Works Cited 8 A – Introduction The works by Bernt Amadeus Capra, Carolyn Merchant and David Hess are really influential and this paper consists of an in depth analysis of their works in which, initially their works and ideas are discussed briefly. In this paper, in the first discussion section that is part B, Capra’s movie, “Mindwalk” was analyzed. After the evaluation of “Mindwalk”, two works of Merchant were evaluated that were “The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology and the Scientific Revolution” and “Gaia: Ecofeminism and the Earth”. In the last, three chapters from Hess’s book, “Science and Technology in a Multicultural World: The Cultural Politics of Facts and Artifacts” were analyzed that were “Temporal Cultures and Technoscience”, “Other Ways of Doing and Knowing” and “Cosmopolitan Technologies, Native Peoples, and Resistance Struggles”. In second discussion part that is Part C, the similarities and differences found in the works of Hess and Merchant were evaluated and discussed. Lastly, the topic is concluded in which, the whole essay is summarized. B – Discussion (i) The movie, “Mindwalk” directed by Bernt Amadeus Capra introduces three characters who are involved in a correspondence. First one is a politician; second one is a scientist while the third one is a poet. Each of them has a diverse viewpoint and sees the world differently. The movie is based on Kuhn ideas that are linked to the discovery of new concepts in scientific field. The movie illustrates that people should not rely on old discoveries and theories, they should revolutionize and should move towards new grounds. This movie also wants the people to move towards the revolutionary phase and to introduce new ideas and scientific concepts. Carolyn Merchant in her book, “The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology and the Scientific Revolution”, argues that it is because of revolution of modern science that the nature has lost its value (Merchant, 1980). She elaborates that science is the reason of making nature a mechanistic thing that lacks its previous values. According to Merchant, science is the death of nature (Merchant, 1980). Her approach towards science is pessimistic and she regards science as one force that has transformed nature into a machinery. According to Merchant, all the environmental problems of the earth are linked to the evolution of science. She also links womanhood to nature as nature is always portrayed with the female sex (Merchant, 1980). Merchant argues that with the scientific revolution, the face of the earth has changed. Before scientific revolution, the earth was a nurturing mother for the humankind but after the evolution of science, the earth changed from a nurturing mother to a mechanistic thing (Merchant, 1980). With the changing of earth’s face, the role of women on earth also changed. Ecosystem was disturbed by science. With the inauguration of movements related to security and safety of ecosystem and equal rights for women, the subjugation of women and nature, both are going to reverse (Merchant, 1980). Carolyn Merchant in her work, “Gaia: Ecofeminism and the Earth” describes that the world was previously called mother earth or Gaia in Greek mythology (Merchant 1995). The concept of the world as mother earth is employed in the phenomenon of ecofeminism. According to Merchant, the women of the earth along with nature can be set free if the world is considered female. According to Merchant, the world has a patriarchal system currently that should be removed in order to categorize the world as female and Gaia. There are many kinds of ecofeminism, which are liberal ecofeminism, cultural ecofeminism, social ecofeminism and socialist ecofemenism (Merchant 1995). According to Liberal ecofeminism, women should be given equal opportunities in the conservation of environment and solution of environmental problems as men. Liberal ecofeminism is associated to the movement of liberalism (Merchant 1995). According to cultural ecofeminism, women and nature are correlated to each other and both are undervalued because of western culture. Cultural ecofeminism describes that nature and women should be liberated politically so that they remain no more devalued in society and culture (Merchant 1995). Social ecofeminism is a movement in which, it is stated that women should be liberated from social and economic chain of commands. According to the critics of social ecofeminism, women and nature both are bound because of social and economic hierarchies. According to socialist ecofeminism, the significance of women’s role in society can be seen by their association with production, reproduction and ecology (Merchant 1995). According to Merchant, nature and women are related to each other. The ecofeminist movements deal with the interaction of women and nature. Merchant describes women as producers and reproducers of life and are interacted to nature (Merchant 1995). David Hess in his work, “Temporal Cultures and Technoscience” describes about temporal cultures and relates the idea of science with culture. Hess analyzes history represented by Foucault and Kuhn in terms of science (Hess 1995a). By temporal cultures, Hess means the evaluation of structural changes that can be seen in the content of science in relation to the society (Hess 1995a). Hess analyzes the changes that can be noticed in the sciences from classical period to progressive period, from progressive period to modernist period and from modernist period to post modern period (Hess 1995a). According to Hess, science has reached to its present state by means of many changes that have occurred with the passage of time. Hess regards these changes as associated to culture. According to Hess, science is an integral part of culture (Hess 1995a). According to Hess in his work, “Other Ways of Doing and Knowing”, ethnoknowledges are the other knowledge systems which are employed for doing and knowing but are other for the western world because they do not consult western world for attainment of knowledge (Hess 1995b). Other ways of doing and knowing are non-western knowledge attainment methodologies that are employed in diverse cultures other than western cultures. According to Hess, the ethnoknowledges are interesting and beneficial because they add to the knowledge of a person. According to Hess, non-western ways of knowledge or ethnoknowledges are sometimes more efficient and effective as compared to western knowledge. He also informs that Western or Cosmopolitan knowledge of science and other fields may also have taken information or scientific content from ethnoknowledges and used it as its own or it may have transformed into western or cosmopolitan because of its presence in Western culture for a long time (Hess 1995b). According to Hess in the chapter, ““Cosmopolitan Technologies, Native Peoples, and Resistance Struggles”, technology has left a strong impact on cultural development. Technologies are of two kinds: macrotechnologies and microtechnologies (Hess 1995c). According to Hess, native people have to face resistance struggles everywhere in the world. Different technologies can meet different kinds of resistances from indigenous people of a place because of the impact of these technologies (Hess 1995c). C – Discussion (ii) Hess’s approach towards the history of science and its association to the other cultures of the world is depicted in a tone that is positive. Hess informs that Western or Cosmopolitan Culture has taken many scientific ethnoknowledges from other cultures of the world (Hess 1995b). The writing of Carolyn Merchant looks pessimistic as she regards a negative influence towards women of the world. Both of the writers have linked the development of science and the world in historical sense. The concepts of both writers are quite different. Merchant talks in a pure feminist note and regards that along with the exploitation of nature, women of the society are also exploited as they are strongly linked to the nature (Merchant, 1980). Like nature, the women also take part in production and reproduction. For her, women should be given equal parts in every field of life and in environmental control. She describes various movements in history related to ecofeminism. Ecofeminism can be described as a concept that is linked to women and environment (Merchant 1995). The change about which, Hess talks is a cultural and scientific change while the change about which, Merchant talks is a natural and womanish change. Hess evaluates the current positioning of science in various parts of the world while Merchant analyzes the current positioning of women in the world. One talks of a discipline in association to society, culture and technology while the other talks of human beings in association to nature and environment. Hess and Merchant both associate science and technology to nature, society and humankind but their approaches are different. One considers science as destructive while other regards science as associated to development of world. D – Conclusion After evaluation of the works of authors, it is clear that the descriptions given by all the three authors are linked to science and technology. “Mindwalk” by Capra prompts people to go towards innovation and new concepts related to science. Carolyn Merchant considers women as part of nature. According to her opinion, scientific evolution has affected the ecological world and womanhood together (Merchant, 1980). She is of the opinion that science is the reason of changing the face of earth and the role of women on earth. Merchant also informs that women are part of environment and nature because of their association to production and reproduction. The concept of the world as mother earth is employed in the phenomenon of ecofeminism and according to Merchant, women along with nature should be set free (Merchant 1995). Hess regards changes in science because of cultures and society and links this idea to temporal cultures. Science and culture are interrelated. According to Hess, science has taken many ethnoknowledges from other parts of the world, which are other for western culture. Technology development has affected cultural development. E – Works Cited Capra, Bernt Amadeus. Mindwalk. 1990. Also available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=854094769667634943&hl Hess, David. “Temporal Cultures and Technoscience”. Science and Technology in a Multicultural World: The Cultural Politics of Facts and Artifacts. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995a: 87-116. Hess, David. “Other Ways of Doing and Knowing”. Science and Technology in a Multicultural World: The Cultural Politics of Facts and Artifacts. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995b: 185-209. Hess, David. “Cosmopolitan Technologies, Native Peoples, and Resistance Struggles”. Science and Technology in a Multicultural World: The Cultural Politics of Facts and Artifacts. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995c: 211-259. Merchant, Carolyn. The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology and the Scientific Revolution. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1980: 1-12. Merchant, Carolyn. “Gaia: Ecofeminism and the Earth” . Earthcare: Women and Environment. London: Routledge, 1995: 3-26. Read More