Ecofeminist theory associates systems of gender with the way in which humans perceive and behave toward the natural environment. Although most scholarship on ecofeminism has come from disciplines such as sociology, geography, and the humanities, core assumptions about the functions of ecofeminism are deeply rooted in psychology. The core tenet of ecofeminism is that individuals and societies create attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that marginalize women and the environment by prioritizing men over women and humans over the nonhuman environment in a hierarchical social structure.

Hegemonic Value Systems

Psychological research on values contrasts hierarchical or hegemonic value systems with horizontal or egalitarian value systems. Although these values are not mutually exclusive, individuals who typically endorse one value tend to not endorse the other value and tend to do ...

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