Gender and nature: A psychological analysis of ecofeminist theory

For ecofeminists, the logic of domination (Warren, 1900) subserves the inte rconnected oppressions of patriarchy (i.e., sexism) and the anthropocentric domination of nature (i.e., naturism). Given this premise, it was hypothes ized that intercorrelations would be found across instruments that assessed the following constructs: right-wing authoritarianism. attitudes toward wo men, social-dominance orientation, and attitudes toward the environment. As predicted, a correlation was found between attitudes toward women and the environment. Regression analyses indicate that authoritarianism reliably pr edicted sexism in men and women. Authoritarianism also predicted naturism i n nomen. These results are interpreted as an initial rapprochement between psychology and the ecofeminism framework delineating the social attitudes t hat are inherent in the oppressive systems of sexism and naturism.