“From Archaic beginnings to Integral Feminism”
This paper follows woman’s journey through the broad waves of human development to her arrival in feminist consciousness and further, to discuss the possibilities presented by the emergence of an Integral feminism.
Wilber charts the emergence of homo sapiens and ‘human nature’ from its beginning in prehistoric times. He describes his work as “an analysis of the types of gender roles available to men and women at each of he five or six major stages of techno-economic development in the formation of the human species” (Wilber 1998, 594), and proposes that the stages of evolutionary development are demonstrated through historical expressions of “space-time, law, morality, cognitive style, self identity and modes of technology” (Wilber 1995, 119). I broadly follow the stages as proposed by Wilber in Sex, Ecology, Spirituality (1995) and add to his analysis that derived from feminist scholarship from a number of disciplines in order to more faithfully chart woman as subject across the stages.
Unitive Horizons: Women becoming divine”
Following the trajectory of feminist philosophy of religion, Irigaray calls for the articulation of a divine horizon for
women: a figure that is the goal, ideal and inspiration of womans’ becoming. This figuration would be the embodiment of our highest potential and values; the divine revealed in flesh. I explore the significant resonance between the call for this figuration and research on the higher stages of human development as mapped in the work of Susann Cook- Greuter. Also taking the work of the Harvard Girls’ Project into consideration, the developmental pathway for women towards the highest Unitive stage of development, is one that reflects, and is historically anchored to, the specific gender hurdles of the contemporary socio-cultural context.
Publication List
2008
“The Journey to the Unitive Horizon: Women Becoming Divine”
in Spirituality in Australia: Resurgence and Diversity, Dowson, Miner and Devenish (Eds), Centre for Human Interaction, Learning and Development/ Australasian Centre for Studies in Spirituality. Sydney, Australia
“From Archaic beginnings to Integral Feminism”
Conference proceedings from the 1st Biannual Integral Theory and Practice conference, John F. Kennedy University, San Francisco.
Integral Feminism panel, Integral Theory and Practice Conference
L-R: Vernice Solimar, Diane Hamilton, Elizabeth Debold, Sarah Nicholson, Vanessa Fisher, Cindy Lou Golin.
2007
“Unitive Horizons: Women becoming divine”
Spirituality in Australia conference proceedings
University of Western Sydney, Psychology and Spirituality group
2005
“The perennial philosophy of the goddess Inanna”
The International Journal of Humanities. Vol 1.1
ABSTRACT
An exploration of the Sumerian mythology of the goddess Inanna’s descent as perrenial philosophy through a feminist reading of the mythological hero/ine’s journey.
“Towards Integral Feminism”
Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, Vol 1.2
2004
“Reclaiming the Streets of Sydney”
M/C reviews: ‘Objection or Obstruction’ issue
University of Queensland
2003
“Reclaiming the Streets”
Bulletin of Good Practice in Popular Education, Volume 7
University of Technology Sydney