Cameron Hayden từ Tipang Coal Grant, Assam, India

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11/05/2024

Dữ liệu người dùng, đánh giá và đề xuất cho sách

Cameron Hayden Sách lại (10)

2019-09-27 10:31

Ehon Nhật Bản - Chơi Cùng Giri - Chú Bé Cơm Nắm: Không Phải Trái Cây Đâu! Thư viện Sách hướng dẫn

Sách được viết bởi Bởi: Fuku Mitsu

I’ve been trying to catch up with some eco-feminist titles lately, and RAPE OF THE WILD is a challenging and at times unusual book in this genre. Overall, I think Carol J. Adams does a bit better on this topic, but Collard has a wider scope to deal with; that is, this isn’t just about the patriarchal oppression of both women and nonhuman animals in a similar way, but also about man’s destruction of the earth and biological systems as a whole. I do think the author is little too idealistic of prehistoric times—what she sees as a matriarchal societies living in harmony with, rather than destroying, the earth and each other. The fact is, none of us really know what life was like during the earliest stages of human culture and society. However, I’m willing to bet that there was cruelty, greed, and exclusion—simply because we see this behavior in even very young children; it appears to be part of our makeup. We must be taught to be considerate of others, and for some, the early lessons never do sink in. RAPE OF THE WILD could be considered an animal advocacy work, as unlike many environmentalists, Collard refuses to just see nature in macro and focuses in on the individual experiences of animals caught up in the human machine. In keeping with the animal advocacy movement of the 1960s through the 1980s, sport hunting and vivisection are Collard’s primary focuses; she devotes a chapter to each. Indeed, both are important issues which cause a lot of suffering; both are also primarily male-driven pursuits infused with disturbing, rape-y language. However, animal agriculture represents by far the greatest abuse of the female body in the animal kingdom—as well as the greatest abuse of all animals, period. It’s no wonder many eco-feminists see withdrawing support of the meat, dairy, and egg industries as a feminist act. Collard has me confused when she turns her attention to human females, or at least women’s reproductive choices. The book acknowledges the prejudices women face if they do not conform to gender norms, specifically highlighting women who choose not to have children. At the same time, she posits that “human infertility is also on the rise.” Seriously? With seven billion and counting, clearly our problem is too many, rather than too few. I’m guessing that those of us in more educated and affluent parts of the world may think this is true because people in the West tend to wait longer to have children and have fewer when they do. However, humans as a whole are clearly far too fecund; we’d be much better off if we’d knock off the breeding and people who want children would adopt them instead! The author imagines a male-dominated, “scientifically perfected” future in which: Only ‘special’ women would be allowed to continue to breed while the rest of us would gradually be phased out. However, this too is but a step toward the elimination not only of women, but all other species as we know them, including our own. Wow. Ok, I’ve actually seen this “forced human extinction” theory before, usually from the propaganda of right-leaning conspiracy theorists. But think about this—we’re frequently reminded that if bees and other pollinators disappeared, the ecosystem would collapse. However, if human beings were to become extinct, nature would benefit tremendously. The ecosystem would just keep on humming along without our “help.” And I’d also like to add just how difficult it is to choose a permanent method of birth control in many parts of the Western world at least. Women must jump through a lot of hoops and do a lot of waiting if they wish to be sterilized. Our society and government also reward having children with tax breaks, incentives, and programs. Sorry, I just don’t see ANY discouragement of breeding. In the footnotes, the author states that “apparently the ‘fit’ are beating the ‘unfit’ in the race for self-elected sterilization,” noting that tubal ligation is the number-one birth control used by married couples. And? I’m not really sure if the author sees this as a positive or negative development, or perhaps she feels the male in the relationship should shoulder this duty in a more equitable way. However, I would think that there are very few things more empowering than taking control of your own body, and making informed, adult choices on whether to bring more people into this world. A woman who chooses a tubal ligation is doing both of these things—and it’s a choice that will stay with her, even if her relationship doesn’t last. Why rely on others, even an intimate partner, to make choices about YOUR body? For those women who do choose to have biological children, the author speaks approvingly of those pregnant women who refuse prenatal tests and hospital births, and instead to do things the “natural” way. *facefreakingpalm* You put your own life at risk? Stupid, but your choice. You put an innocent child’s life at risk, perhaps dooming him/her to all sorts of painful and debilitating complications? Argh! Why?! This foolishness is why some otherwise sympathetic people may reject Collard’s work as a whole—which is a shame—in essence throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Người đọc Cameron Hayden từ Tipang Coal Grant, Assam, India

Người dùng coi những cuốn sách này là thú vị nhất trong năm 2017-2018, ban biên tập của cổng thông tin "Thư viện Sách hướng dẫn" khuyến cáo rằng tất cả các độc giả sẽ làm quen với văn học này.