“Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner

“Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill and Terisa E. Turner was first published in Capitalism Nature Socialism in 2019. This influential work examines how ecofeminism has been fundamental to the development of ecosocialism, emphasizing the critical roles African women have played in resisting capitalist-driven environmental degradation and advocating for a transition to sustainable, community-centered systems. The article foregrounds the experiences of African peasant women who, in response to neoliberal exploitation since the 1980s, have actively defended communal resources and promoted food and energy sovereignty. By preserving indigenous agricultural practices and pushing back against exploitative supply chains, these women exemplify ecofeminist resistance, highlighting a “fight for fertility” and the reclamation of essential life resources. This work is significant in literature and literary theory as it connects feminist environmental activism with broader critiques of capitalism, fostering a theoretical framework where gendered and ecological perspectives coalesce to challenge existing power structures and propose a commoning economy as an alternative.

Summary of “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner

• African Women as Pioneers of Resistance: African women, particularly in rural communities, have been at the forefront of resisting neoliberal capitalist policies since the 1980s, especially in response to “corporate globalization”. Their resistance includes defending communal land and natural resources from exploitation and promoting subsistence-based practices. This resistance is not isolated but part of a global movement, with women on every continent engaging in similar struggles (Shiva 2008; Gago and Aguilar 2018).
• Self-Provisioning and Local Food Systems: Women in Kenya, facing economic hardship in the 1980s, rejected exploitative global supply chains like those in the coffee industry. Instead, they opted for “self-provisioning” and revitalized local food systems by planting indigenous crops over commercial ones, focusing on sustainability and food sovereignty. This movement is part of a broader strategy for “reclaiming and defending control over the prerequisites of life, especially their own bodies, labors, waters, and lands” (Turner and Brownhill 2001b).
• Expansion of Food Sovereignty Movements: By the 2010s, the food sovereignty movement, which emphasizes control over local agricultural production, had grown significantly, with activists across East Africa, including groups like La Via Campesina, linking food sovereignty with women’s rights and renewable energy potential (Brownhill, Kaara, and Turner 2016).
• Militant Resistance in Nigeria: In Nigeria, women have fought oil companies for decades, using strategies like “the curse of nakedness” in protest and occupying oil terminals to halt environmental destruction. This activism expanded globally, influencing movements that call for “system change, not climate change” and a shift toward sustainable, community-led energy (Turner and Oshare 1994).
• Convergence of Global Movements: The rise of globally connected social movements against fossil fuels has united ecofeminist activists worldwide. African women’s activism has inspired a “global, horizontal, subsistence-oriented, decolonized commoning political economy,” which Brownhill and Turner call “ecofeminist ecosocialism” (Kovel 2002; Federici and Richards 2018).
• Fossil Fuel Divestment and ‘Keep It in the Ground’: Initially championed by Accion Ecologica in 1997, the slogan “Keep It in the Ground” has since become a global rallying cry, with many governments, including Costa Rica, committing to divestment and ecological sustainability efforts (McKibben 2018; Araya 2018).
• Praxis of Revolutionary Ecofeminism: African women’s ecofeminist resistance is part of a larger “gendered, ethnicized class struggle” against capitalist exploitation, influencing global movements from Black Lives Matter to the Standing Rock protests. This collective struggle aims to establish a sustainable, egalitarian world order by replacing capitalism with an economy based on “democratic stewardship over the prerequisites of life” (McMurtry 2001; Kovel 2017).

Literary Terms/Concepts in “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner

Literary Term/Concept	Definition	Application in the Article
Ecofeminism	An intersectional approach linking environmentalism with feminism, emphasizing how ecological harm often impacts women, especially in marginalized communities.	Central theme; African women’s ecofeminist movements resist capitalist exploitation and defend communal resources, offering a blueprint for ecofeminist activism.
Ecosocialism	A political theory combining ecological concerns with socialist principles, advocating for sustainable, community-based alternatives to capitalism.	Proposed as a solution; African women’s struggles embody ecosocialist principles, aiming for a “post-fossil age” and “global horizontal commoning economy.”
Commons/Enclosure	The concept of shared resources (commons) versus their privatization or restriction (enclosure).	Women resist “enclosure of their commons” by maintaining indigenous knowledge, seeds, and local food production.
Patriarchal Capitalism	A critique of capitalism that emphasizes the exploitation and marginalization of women and nature.	Described as “capitalist resource-grabs” that undermine women’s rights to land and labor, necessitating resistance.
Food Sovereignty	The right of communities to control their food systems and agricultural practices, typically against corporate interests.	Demonstrated by Kenyan women planting indigenous crops, and echoed in the “food sovereignty movement” in East Africa.
Decolonization	Efforts to dismantle colonial structures, reclaim autonomy, and promote indigenous practices.	Seen in women’s “decolonizing alliances” and resistance to global capitalism, asserting local control over resources.
Gendered Class Struggle	A class struggle shaped by gender, highlighting how economic oppression intersects with gendered experiences.	Emphasized in the “fight for fertility” and the resistance to oil exploitation in Nigeria, where women’s activism embodies this concept.
Commoning	Collective, community-oriented practices that prioritize shared resources over privatization.	Women’s communal maintenance of land and resources; ecofeminist practices that challenge privatization and foster “commoning.”
Horizontal Alliances	Collaborative, non-hierarchical partnerships across communities and social movements.	Shown in “global, horizontal alliances” among activists, from Standing Rock to Nigerian women, to resist environmental exploitation.
System Change	Calls for a foundational shift in political, economic, and social systems to address ecological and social injustices.	The term “system change, not climate change” highlights the demand for a sustainable alternative to capitalist extractivism.
Post-Fossil Age	The idea of moving beyond fossil fuel dependency to sustainable energy solutions.	Advocated as necessary for ecological balance; “transition to a carbon-balanced epoch” driven by ecofeminist movements in the Global South.
Intersectionality	The interconnectedness of social categorizations like race, class, and gender, influencing one’s experience of oppression.	Women’s struggles in Africa reflect an “intersectional” approach that addresses the overlapping impacts of race, class, and gender on ecological justice.
Subaltern Voice	The perspectives of marginalized groups often excluded from mainstream narratives.	African women’s ecofeminist movements provide “subaltern voices” that challenge dominant, corporate narratives about development and globalization.
Embodied Resistance	A form of protest where physical presence and actions convey opposition, often emphasizing the role of the body in activism.	Women’s protests, like “the curse of nakedness” and “occupation of oil terminals”, exemplify embodied resistance in their fight for environmental justice.
Globalization from Below	A grassroots approach to globalization focused on local, community-driven activism rather than corporate-led globalization.	Demonstrated by cross-border alliances and “global popular struggles” that resist the environmental harm caused by corporate globalization.

Contribution of “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner to Literary Theory/Theories

• Advancement of Ecofeminist Literary Theory: This work expands ecofeminist theory by linking feminist resistance to capitalist-driven environmental degradation. It illustrates how marginalized communities, especially African women, form the backbone of ecofeminist thought through direct action and defense of communal resources (“fight for fertility” and “defending control over prerequisites of life”).
• Integration of Ecosocialism with Decolonial Theory: Brownhill and Turner advocate for a blend of ecosocialism and decolonial theory, illustrating how African women’s activism opposes both environmental degradation and colonial legacies. The theory proposed here emphasizes “decolonized commoning political economy” as a counter to Western capitalist models and foregrounds subsistence and communal land practices.
• Intersectionality as Praxis in Resistance Narratives: This article uses intersectionality not merely as a theoretical concept but as a practical framework for understanding resistance to ecological and gender-based injustices. African women’s actions are shown to confront “gendered, ethnicized class struggle” and highlight the layered oppression in environmental conflicts (Federici and Richards 2018).
• Contributions to Post-Colonial and Subaltern Theory: Brownhill and Turner contribute to post-colonial theory by centering African women’s voices in environmental activism, positioning them as subaltern agents of change against neoliberalism and globalization. The term “globalization from below” exemplifies this alternative narrative by showcasing how local activism challenges dominant, corporate-led global narratives.
• Development of the Commoning Concept in Literary Theory: The article redefines “commoning” within literary and social theory as a practice of communal management and resistance against privatization, especially within the contexts of environmental and economic justice. It proposes “global, horizontal, subsistence-oriented” systems as alternatives to capital-centric models.
• Influence on Environmental Justice and Feminist Utopian Thought: By proposing “ecofeminist ecosocialism”, the authors contribute a feminist utopian framework to literary theory, envisioning a society based on equality, sustainability, and freedom from capitalist exploitation. This concept integrates ecological balance with social justice, extending the goals of environmental justice literature.
• Contribution to Embodied Resistance Theory: The authors explore “embodied resistance” through practices like “the curse of nakedness” and physical occupations of corporate spaces, positioning the body as a site of political and environmental resistance. This theory of embodied resistance demonstrates the power of physical protest against capitalist forces.

Examples of Critiques Through “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner

Literary Work	Critique through Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism	Explanation
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson	Critique of Industrial Exploitation of Nature and Women	Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism critiques capitalist systems that exploit nature and marginalized groups. Carson’s exposure of chemical harms aligns with this ecofeminist resistance.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck	Gendered Labor and Class Struggle in Environmental Displacement	The portrayal of the Joad family’s struggles reflects ecofeminist ecosocialist themes of working-class resilience and the intersections of class and environmental degradation.
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys	Colonialism, Ecological Ruin, and Gendered Oppression	Rhys’s work, seen through an ecofeminist ecosocialist lens, exposes how colonial exploitation disrupts both ecological balance and women’s autonomy, echoing decolonial themes.
Beloved by Toni Morrison	Subaltern Voices and Land as a Source of Identity and Resistance	Morrison’s focus on reclaimed identity and trauma connects with ecofeminist perspectives on reclaiming communal resources and resisting systems of historical and ecological violence.

Criticism Against “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner

• Oversimplification of Class Struggle: Some critics argue that the work may overly simplify complex class dynamics by framing resistance within a rigid ecofeminist-ecosocialist structure, potentially overlooking nuanced local differences and intra-community conflicts.
• Limited Inclusivity Beyond Gender and Environment: While the authors emphasize gendered environmental resistance, critics might point out that other intersecting factors, such as race, disability, and sexuality, receive less attention, limiting the inclusivity of the ecosocialist framework.
• Romanticization of Indigenous and Local Practices: The authors’ emphasis on indigenous and subsistence-based practices may risk romanticizing these practices as inherently anti-capitalist, potentially neglecting cases where local groups engage with capitalist systems out of necessity or preference.
• Overemphasis on African Case Studies: Though African women’s movements are central to their argument, some critics might say that the focus on African case studies could limit the broader applicability of ecofeminist ecosocialism, underrepresenting similar struggles in other global contexts.
• Potential Neglect of Practical Economic Solutions: While advocating for community-centered economies, critics may argue that the article lacks specific, actionable economic alternatives, leaving questions about how such a transition could realistically occur within global economic structures.
• Idealization of the ‘Commoning’ Economy: The authors promote a “commoning” political economy, but critics may argue that this concept is idealized and may not address challenges in modern, highly interconnected economic systems, where privatization and individual property rights are deeply entrenched.

Representative Quotations from “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“African women have been at the forefront of resistance to corporate globalization since neoliberalism struck.”	Highlights African women’s central role in resisting neoliberal policies that exploit both labor and natural resources, a foundational theme in ecofeminist ecosocialism.
“This resistance politics has today converged in the politics of transition to a fossil-fuel-free world.”	Illustrates the shift from local, gendered resistance to a broader global movement advocating for sustainable, renewable energy sources.
“Women in Kenya… affirmed self-provisioning along with the revitalization of subsistence food systems.”	Depicts women’s rejection of exploitative supply chains in favor of food sovereignty, reflecting ecofeminist critiques of capitalist food production.
“We characterize this heightened class struggle as a ‘fight for fertility.'”	Uses the phrase “fight for fertility” to frame ecofeminist struggles as not only about the environment but also control over bodies, labor, and reproductive rights.
“Their tactic of naked protest”	Highlights the embodied resistance tactics used by Nigerian women, underscoring how physical protest serves as a powerful symbol against corporate exploitation.
“Two crucial elements… food and energy sovereignty—were pioneered by African peasant women and their allies.”	Credits African women with leading the way in promoting alternatives to capitalist resource use, emphasizing grassroots contributions to sustainability.
“Globalization from below”	Introduces the concept of grassroots-driven globalization, an alternative to top-down, corporate-led globalization, and central to ecofeminist ecosocialist theory.
“Ecofeminist ecosocialism… global, horizontal, subsistence-oriented, decolonized commoning political economy.”	Defines the authors’ vision for a sustainable, anti-capitalist economy rooted in community control, cooperation, and gender inclusivity.
“Keep It in the Ground”	Refers to a rallying slogan that calls for fossil fuel divestment, widely used by climate justice movements, reinforcing the demand to preserve natural resources.
“Gendered, ethnicized class struggle”	Recognizes the complex intersection of gender, race, and class in resistance movements, emphasizing a nuanced approach to ecofeminist ecosocialist struggles.

Suggested Readings: “Ecofeminism at the Heart of Ecosocialism” by Leigh Brownhill & Terisa E. Turner

1. Mellor, Mary. “Feminism and Environmental Ethics: A Materialist Perspective.” Ethics and the Environment, vol. 5, no. 1, 2000, pp. 107–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27766058. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
2. Fowler, Robert Booth. “Environmentalism as a Point of Redirection.” Enduring Liberalism: American Political Thought Since the 1960s, University Press of Kansas, 2021, pp. 175–99. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1p2gjm9.11. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
3. Birkeland, Janis. “Ecofeminism: Linking Theory and Practice.” Ecofeminism, edited by Greta Gaard, Temple University Press, 1993, pp. 13–59. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14bt5pf.5. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
4. Wall, Derek, and Hugo Blanco. “The Ecosocialist Challenge.” The Rise of the Green Left: Inside the Worldwide Ecosocialist Movement, Pluto Press, 2010, pp. 70–104. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt183p6c3.8. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.