Ecofeminism in Mass Media Imagery

#Reading Mass Media Imagery: Ecofeminism


Hello readers!

   Here, is my blog on Ecofeminism in Mass Media imagery, answer of the question which is given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir as a task:

* What do you understand by the theory of  'Ecocriticism'? 

* What is your understanding of       'Ecofeminism'? 

* Explain with the illustration. 

The theory of 'Ecocriticism'

     Ecocriticism is the study of literature and the environment from an interdisciplinary point of view, where literature scholars analyze texts that illustrate environmental concerns and examine the various ways  literature treats the subject of nature.

In simple words, "Ecocriticism is a study of the relationship between literature and physical environment."

#Ecofeminism:

              It is normal practice to associate female imagery wherever mass media deals with Nature. The mass media is all about popular, shallow and superficial human psychology. It deals with what is popular and at superficial shallow level of memory. At this conscious level of memory, people readily accepts imagery which are floating at upper surface of memory. That is the reason why nature is so easily and conveniently associated with female. Without any question, it is readily accepted by the people of all cultures. 

                      who will help us to critically examine this and similar mass media imagery where female is equated with nature.well let's quote Richard Kerridge at length to contextualize this hypothesis in proper theoretrical framework.

           " In 1974, an influential essay by sherry B.Ortner, 'Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture' ,sought to explain,in terms of structuralist anthropology, the presence in diverse cultures of the idea that women were subordinate to men. the underlying idea,ortner discover.is that woman is closer to nature.this helps to explain the acquiescence of women in their own subordination of nature. Beliefs that legitimate the oppression of women also legitimate environmental degradation. This is ecofeminism's key insight. Certain fundamental binary oppositions fit neatly over one another, creating the ideological basis for both sorts of harm:

                                        Male    |      Female

                                      Culture   |      Nature

                                   Reason     |      Emotion

                                     Mind      |       Body

                                             (Kerridge)   

                    

she further her questioning by asking : Why Is Woman Seen as Closer to Nature ?

In her own words:

The discussion on following arguments is based on universal human and cultural values:

1) Woman's physiology seen as closer to nature.

2)Woman's social role seen as closer to nature.

3)Woman's psyche seen as closer to nature.

Feminist environmental justice campaigners, such as Vandana Shiva' points out also that women and children are disproportionately vulnerable to environmental hazards. This particular ad makes use of both mother and child.