Mother Earth
Earth, the third planet in our Solar System, provides one of the best conditions for life. It is also the only planet in the Solar System that is not named after Roman Gods or Goddesses. So in theory, it is gender-less and unisex. Yet, the most recognizable term is Mother Earth, which stems from Greek Mythology. The Goddess Gaia gave birth to sky and sea, thus arose the term mother nature and Mother Earth. In Genevieve Vaughan “For-Giving: A Feminist Criticism of Exchange,” she stated that humanity greatest and smallest mistake was naming babies opposite gender names. It gives pressure for the next generation to stay with what the society think is the norm. So what does that say when we gave gender to our planet? Looking back at history, women have always been suppressed by men who believed that they are more superior. What does that say about the relationship between us and Mother Earth?
As a species, we have progressed so much in the last century. Population is at an all time high with new technologies and medicines. During this progress, we have also made enormous impact to nature. Deforestation, power plants, and oil plants, have caused countless number of disasters over the years. For the first time in the history, scientist around the world notice that the changes in the environment caused global warming. In chapter 5 “The Concept of Man,” Vaughan states “Do we wonder why the Spirit of Goods has not destroyed us, given all the horrors we commit.” Of the list of horrors, the one that stick out most was “the rape and pollution of land and sea.” She believes that there is a relationship between how people treat nature and how human treats each other. So in theory if we are living in a culture where Mother Earth is respected, there will probably be more equality between male and female. Let’s first define what gender norm is. Males are suppose to be more dominant with more power, while females are supposed to be more elegant and supportive. I want to put that theory to the test.
Let’s look at the Native Americans, they are seems to be more in touch with nature. The Natives believe that nature should be respected, so everything they do always goes back to the Earth. Most Western observers at the time thought that men have all the power and the women seem to do all the work in a tribe. However, Alice Fletcher, an American ethnologist who studied and documented American Indian culture, saw it differently. She spent an extended periods of time living and observing the roles between male and female in a tribe. Through her experience, it is true that most Native women work at home, but they received the same political power as men does when it comes to decision making. It is still unlikely to see women hunting and men stay at home because like other culture, it is ingrained the moment they are born. So in this culture, the people show lots of respect to Mother Earth, both genders are still stuck with the norm.
Now let’s look at China in its current state. China it is known to be one of the most polluted countries in the world. 500,000 people dies of air pollution every year in China and only one percent of environmental disputes go to court. With air so polluted, people resorted to walking in the street with masks. Coal factories cover the sky with smokes; lake and water are contaminated because of toxic waste. Does this affect how people treat each other over there? The answer is yes. Especially regarding genders, men are still getting pay more and have more rights. As for the gender norm, there are some women who work as high rank officers in China, however there are very few. Once again the gender norm stays the same. Most women are stay at home mothers while the men provide for the family. So in this culture, the people show little respect to Mother Earth, yet both genders are still stuck with the norm.
In both cases, the gender norm stays the same. However, in the Native culture the women did have equal rights as the men. So this concludes that it doesn’t matter how we treat Mother Earth, the way we treat each other comes from something bigger, maybe it was ingrain in our head by our ancestors like a tradition. We all come from different backgrounds, yet some how, all our ancestors obey this grand ordeal gender norm as a tradition. This could be a good thing, because it is our turn to pass on our traditions and who to say we can’t change it.
