Things That Left Me Shook Week Five

       To start us off this week with the very problematic themes of racism and sexism in modern day climate justice theories, I would like us to begin with a quote from everyone’s fave musical Avenue Q: “Everyone’s a little but racist sometimes, doesn’t mean we go around committing hate crimes.” Sadly, for the views of the Neo-Malthusians, and populationists they are committing agregious acts of hate against women of the global south by perpetuating the stereotype that they are baby rearing 24/7. This is very problematic because as the amazing Jade S. Passer pointed out in her book, this connection to higher rates of birth and climate change is nonexistent, birth rates are decreasing as a whole, and decreased populations leads to more messed up thinks happening to our environment. Not to mention that the whole idea of controlling the population of the Global South using western contraception basically encourages the White Savior Complex that is ever so popular at Tulane University, while also reducing these women to a singular cash making stereotype of being poor victems who need our help, but are also somehow able to be agents on their own because fuck it why not. 

       At this point in the semester, if I took a shot for every time I was disappointed by how humanity thinks in the readings for this I’d have had to call TEMS at least 70 times. It just astounds me that there really are people out there lacking big brain energy in 2019, and this reading relates to what we are currently talking about in my linguistics class right now. In that class we are talking about how the stereotypes surrounding latinx populations within the United States is fueled around the normalized myths and stereotypes we have created both in response to the unfortunate Quebec incident (viva le française) and the invasion/reconquistador ideas. Within the last two prongs lays the idea that people within the global south naturally produce a heck ton of kids which will not only alter the United State’s population demographics, but will also give Latin Americans enough people to take back the United States and reclaim their old land. I see a direct correlation between that train of thought and the train of thought that is wanting to control population within the global south. The United States has just been very careful about hiding their true intentions. 

Key Terms: 

1) Neo-Malthusians: People who believe that population growth is the main cause for environmental, social, and political problems. Very problematic.

2) Populationist: Same ideas as Neo-Malthusians but includes rights oriented strategies #fakewoke

3) Sexual Steward: Ideal woman who helps out environment by using contraceptives. 

4) Women in Development strategies: created in the 70s to integrate women into existing initiatives (economic, social, and political). Problematic because it ignored important factors like race, ethnicity, religion, class, and how men mess everything up. 

5) Gender and Development strategies: Adressed women, women in relation to men, and how gender relations are socially constructed. It ignored the role of power tho. 

Bibliography: 

Sasser, Jade S. On Infertile Ground Population Control and Women’s Rights in the Era of Climate Change. New York Univrsity Press. 2018.