A Research topic titled

A Comparative study of environmental ethics between working and non-working women

Submitted by

Likhita Morusu, Ketaki

Register number

MA191578, MA191575

Submitted to

Department of Psychology

As partial fulfilment for the requirement of degree of Bachelor of Arts

Department of Psychology

Mount Carmel College, Autonomous

(Affiliated to Bangalore Central University)

#58, Palace Road, Bangalore- 560052

2020-2021
 Mount Carmel College (Autonomous), Bengaluru Central University

Department of Psychology

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the research project titled “Comparative study of environmental ethics

between working and non-working women” has been carried out by Ms. KETAKI & MS.

LIKHITA Roll No. MA191575 & MA191578, submitted in partial fulfilment of the

requirements for the award of degree of Bachelor of Arts, from Mount Carmel college,

autonomous, affiliated to Bangalore central university, during the academic year 2020-2021.

Name of Students: KETAKI & LIKHITA Research Supervisor: Ms. Pallavi

Date: 1st November 2021

 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my special thanks to my Research Supervisor Mrs. Pallavi KP for her

guidance and support in completion of our project. Our topic Environmental Ethics in Working

and Non-Working Women gave me an insight on a different point of view, in the field of

Environmental studies. This research has helped me learn about filtering of information and

formulation of a clause using dissected data. We learned a new term called Ecofeminism and its

facets in various sciences.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to our Principal Dr. Sr. Arpana and Vice Principal Dr.

Charmaine Jerome for providing us with all the facilities required to complete this research.

Lastly, I would like to thank our friends who helped and encouraged us throughout the project.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Review of Literature

Chapter 3: Method

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion

Chapter 5: References

Appendix
 INTRODUCTION

According to Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy,

Environmental Ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human

beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its non-human contents.

This definition covers –

(1) the challenge of environmental ethics to the anthropocentrism (i.e., human-centeredness)

embedded in traditional western ethical thinking.

(2) the early development of the discipline in the 1960s and 1970s.

(3) the connection of deep ecology, feminist environmental ethics, animism and social

ecology to politics.

(4) the attempt to apply traditional ethical theories, including consequentialism, deontology,

and virtue ethics, to support contemporary environmental concerns.

(5) the preservation of biodiversity as an ethical goal.

(6) the broader concerns of some thinkers with wilderness, the built environment and the

politics of poverty.

(7) the ethics of sustainability and climate change.

(8) some directions for possible future developments of the discipline.

The theories of environmental ethics

According to Marshall over the last 40 years theories are

as follows - Libertarian Extension, the Ecologic Extension, and Conservation Ethics. The other
theories are Humanistic theory as Peter singer advocated the preservation of “world heritage

sites”. Applied theology – was manifested by Christian world view and Abrahamic religion.

John L. O'Sullivan, who coined the term Manifest destiny, and other influential people like him

used Abrahamic ideologies to encourage action. Since the turn of the 20th century, the

application of theology in environmentalism diverged into two schools of thought. The first

system of understanding holds religion as the basis of environmental stewardship. The second

sees the use of theology as a means to rationalize the unmanaged consumptions of natural

resources. Lynn White and Calvin DeWitt represent each side of this dichotomy. John Muir

personified nature as an inviting place away from the loudness of urban centres. "For Muir and

the growing number of Americans who shared his views, Satan's home had become God's Own

Temple”. The use of Abrahamic religious allusions assisted Muir and the Sierra Club to create

support for some of the first public nature preserves.

Authors like Terry Tempest Williams as well as John Muir

build on the idea that "...God can be found wherever you are, especially outside.

 Normative ethical theories are a field in Moral Philosophy that investigates how

one ought to act. What is morally right and wrong, and how moral standards are

determined. Superficially, this approach may seem intrinsically anthropocentric.

However, theoretical frameworks from traditional normative ethical theories are abundant

within contemporary environmental ethics.

 Consequentialism

 Deontology.

 Virtue ethics.

 Anthropocentrism.
 Environmental ethics is usually, either implicitly or explicitly, cosmopolitan in character.

Many environmental problems are global in scope and require for their solution

cooperation between many countries and citizens acting in appropriate ways. While it is

conceivable that a country (or its citizens) could advocate action by other countries to

achieve an agreed goal only from the motive that that country would benefit from its

share of the improved global change, it is unlikely. Environmental ethics comes in two

forms: human-cantered and nature-cantered (see “anthropocentrism” and “biocentrism”).

Briefly, an anthropocentric ethical theory based on long-term human interests takes

seriously the consequences (usually unintended) of human activity for other human

beings irrespective of whether they live here or elsewhere, now or in the future. It is

either a theory such as Kantianism, utilitarianism, or human rights theories, or one very

like them in terms of its commitment to human well-being generally. If, on the other

hand, one adopts a biocentric perspective according to which either nonhuman living

things or whole ecosystems or both have a value, one is likely again to accept an ethical

theory that puts emphasis upon the effects of activity on any being or thing affected by it

and not to accept a moral theory that tries to limit the domain of responsibility to

membership of one’s own society or community, as communitarian thinking, which is

discussed later, does. Some environmentalists do, however, have a communitarian localist

perspective in caring for their own environments.

 Importance of environmental ethics

 When you think of the environment, do you think about issues such as global warming or

global sea levels rising? Do you consider the relationship between human beings and the

world, from air pollution to the depletion of natural resources? In the past several
 decades, individuals began recognizing the importance of sustainability and started

studying the moral and ethical relationship between humans and the environment.

Sustainability specialists, conservationists, environmentalists, geoscientists, and others

have devoted their careers to the study of preserving the nonhuman world. In our current

digital age, it’s easy to see the direct relationship between human actions and the

environment. Now more than ever, professionals can study and recognize the growing

importance of environmental ethics and how human values drive environmental ethics

initiatives.

 Environmental ethics and women

 Ecofeminism" is expressly committed to making visible the nature and significance of

connections between the treatment of women and the treatment of nonhuman nature, or

"women-nature connections." Ecofeminism claims that understanding women-nature

connections is essential to any adequate feminism or environmental ethic.

 The past few decades have witnessed an enormous interest in both the women’s

movement and the ecology (environmental) movement. Many feminists have argued that

the goals of these two movements are mutually reinforcing; ultimately, they involve the

development of worldviews and practices that are not based on male-biased models of

domination. As Rosemary Ruether wrote in 1975 in her book, New Woman/New Earth:

 Women must see that there can be no liberation for them and no solution to the ecological

crisis within a society whose fundamental model of relationships continues to be one of

domination. They must unite the demands of the women’s movement with those of the

ecological movement to envision a radical reshaping of the basic socioeconomic relations

and the underlying values of this [modern industrial] society.

 Ecological feminism is the name given to a variety of positions that have roots in

different feminist practices and philosophies. These different perspectives reflect not only

different feminist perspectives (e.g., liberal, traditional Marxist, radical, socialist, black

and Third World), they also reflect different understandings of the nature of and solution

to pressing environmental problems.

 One project of ecofeminism is to expose and dismantle the conceptual structures of

domination which have kept various “isms of domination,” particularly the dominations

of women and nature, in place. If ecofeminists who allege various conceptual woman-

nature connections are correct, this will involve reconceiving those mainstay

philosophical notions which rely on them (e.g., notions of reason and rationality,

knowledge, objectivity, ethics, and the knowing, moral self).

 Women are often described in animal terms (e.g., as cows, foxes, chicks, serpents,

bitches, beavers, old bats, pussycats, cats, bird-brains, hare-brains). Nature is often

described in female and sexual terms: nature is raped, mastered, conquered, controlled,

mined. Her “secrets” are “penetrated” and her “womb” is put into the services of the

“man of science.” “Virgin timber” is felled, cut down. “Fertile soil” is tilled and land that

lies “fallow” is “barren,” useless. The claim is that language that so feminizes nature and

naturalizes women describes, reflects, and perpetuates the domination and inferiorization

of both by failing to see the extent to which the twin dominations of women and nature

(including animals) are, in fact, culturally (and not merely figuratively) analogous. The

development of theory and praxis in feminism and environmental philosophy that does

not perpetuate such sexist-naturist language and the power over systems of domination

they reinforce is, therefore, a goal of ecofeminism.

 Minimally, the goal of ecofeminist environmental ethics is to develop theories and

practices concerning humans and the natural environment that are not male-biased and

provide a guide to action in the prefeminist present (Warren 1990). This may involve

developing an ecofeminist ethic of care and appropriate reciprocity.

 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

1.Brain matters: from environmental ethics to environmental neuroethics

The ways in which humans’ effect and are affected by their environments have been studied from

many different perspectives over the past decades. Brain and mental health are determined by

complex interactions between individual predispositions and behavior, social, economic

processes, and the environment. These studies remind us not only about cross-cultural

differences involved in experiencing brain health and the environment, but also about different

layers of vulnerability brought forward by the impact of environmental change.

Based on this they have proposed a framework:

1.Brain science and the environment: Neuroscience discovery that is aligned with the

measurement and evaluation of factors that affect the way individuals, communities and society

adapt and cope with real or perceived environmental threat to well-being.

2. Social policy and the environment: Priorities and allocation of resources of local social

organizations to deal with environmental impacts on brain and mental health.

2. A study on environmental ethics among women:

Women have multi potentials embedded in them. Development of particular skills related to life

should be facilitated by action to promote awareness, comprising civic and political education,

which helps women know their rights and to become conscious of their capacity to have an

effective participation in political life and other aspects also. This is done by descriptive survey

method. This study is done to check that there is no difference between working women of rural

and urban areas. Education is playing an important role in everyone’s life. This study proves that

there is significant difference between working women of rural and urban areas. This means that
program in rural areas about environment should be modified. They should be given some extra

knowledge regarding environment so that they may also come to know about the problems of

environment

3.Research on developing environmental ethics in pharmacists: Authors of various

background are preoccupied with the meaning of environmental ethics which refers to specific

values, norms, attitudes and practices. Many international organizations have adopted important

documents proclaiming the ethical obligation to protect the environment in all professional

activities. For these seven codes of conduct were analyzed using comparative method and

methods of legal interpretation. Based on acknowledged values and principles of environmental

ethics, a framework model for developing environmental protection in pharmacists’ activities

was created via an iterative process of reflection and discussion. The studied codes demonstrate a

preoccupation of the professional associations with the environmental protection. To this end, the

codes of conduct for pharmacists should include environmental values, principles, and ethics

guidelines. Further research is needed to stimulate, shape, and develop an environmental ethical

behavior in pharmacists’ practice.

4. Environmental ethics: An overview: This is a study of normative issues and principles

relating to human interactions with the natural environment. It comprises an increasingly

significant field of applied ethics, crucial for the guidance of individuals, corporations and

governments in shaping the principles affecting their lifestyles, their actions and their policies

across the entire range of environmental issues. Environmental ethics is a field of study, adjacent

and comparable to business ethics and bioethics, and not itself a normative stance. Despite their

differences of emphasis, animal ethics and environmental ethics need not conflict, and need to be

informed by each other. The precautionary principle suggests that a global agreement is urgently
needed to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Environmental ethics as a branch of philosophy arose in the 1970s through the work of Richard

Routley, John Passmore, Arne Naess and Holmes Rolston.

 METHOD

Aim:
To compare the environmental ethics between professionally engaged women and women who

are not professionally engaged.

Plan:

To administer Environmental Ethics scale to assess the levels of environmental ethics among

working and non-working women and compare their scores using appropriate statistical

techniques.

Materials:

1. Environmental Ethics Scale [EES] by Dr. Haseen Taj

2. EES norms

3. Writing materials

Hypothesis:

There will be no significant difference in the levels of environmental ethics between working and

non-working women.

Participants:

The study participants will include 10 working from the age group [between 30-50 years] and 10

non-working from the age group [30-50 years]

Procedure:

The subject is seated comfortably and rapport is established. Environmental ethics scale with 45

items is placed before the subject and instructions are given. There is no time-limit, however it

takes 30-40 minutes for most individuals. EES is a three-point Likert scale and has positive and

negative scoring items. The responses are scored by referring to the norms. Statistical technique

of t-test is used to identify significant differences among the two groups.

Instructions:

“Here are 45 statements. Against each statement you will find three response alternatives.

Choose the answer closest to your opinion. None of the answers are either right or wrong. It is

your opinion that counts.”

Precautions:

1. Make sure subject has understood the instructions

2. Subject must interpret the statements for herself. However, if the subject has problems in

understanding the meaning of certain words, experimenter can help out

3. The experimenter must make every effort to secure complete cooperation of the subject.

He should indicate the importance of the answers, assuring the subject confidentiality of

the same.
 MASTER SHEET

Sl.No Working EES Sl.No Non – EES score

women score working
women
1. VM 127 1. JN 71
2. TD 121 2. JS 99
3. CL 131 3. TJ 49
4. MD 127 4. KV 120
5. MP 134 5. GP 121
6. MM 133 6. YD 130
7. SK 128 7. PD 130
8. KK 115 8. MS 132
9. MT 129 9. AD 120
10 AO 120 10. AH 130
.
MEAN 126.5 MEAN 110.2
SD 5.76 SD 27.14
RANGE 19 RANGE 83
 REFERENCES

 Alexandra Toma & Ofelia Crisan, (2021). Research on developing environmental ethics

in pharmacists’ activities. Environmental Health. Research on developing environmental

ethics in pharmacists’ activities | Environmental Health | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)

 Dr. Jasraj Kaur, (2015). A Study of Environment Ethics among Women. World wide

journals. November_2015_1448104540__65.pdf (worldwidejournals.com)

 Brennan, Andrew and Yeuk-Sze Lo,(2021) "Environmental Ethics", The Stanford

Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (Winter 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming

URL = Document Not Found (stanford.edu)

 Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 30). Environmental ethics. In Wikipedia, The

Free Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 14:20, November 2, 2021,

from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Environmental_ethics&oldid=1052628907

 Mary Ville, (2021) Examining the importance of environmental ethics, Importance of

Environmental Ethics | Maryville University

 Karen J. Warren & Brendan, (2021) Warren’s introduction to Ecofeminism. There it is

.org. Warren’s Introduction to Ecofeminism – There It Is . org

 APPENDIX 1
DEMOGRAPHIC SHEET
Date of administration: 22nd oct, 2021
1. Do you think it is important to think and act about environmental issues and

sustainability? Yes/No

2. Do you perform segregation of waste at home? Yes/No

 APPENDIX 2

EES SCALE
 SCORING

 Score positive items as

 I absolutely agree -3

 I slightly agree – 2

 I don’t agree – 1

 Score negative items (marked in the questionnaire) as

 I absolutely agree – 1

 I slightly agree – 2

 I don’t agree – 3

 Calculate total raw score and refer to Table 6 for Stanine Grades. Maximum

score possible is 135.

 Interpret scores using Table 5.