A Distinct Discipline | A New Paradigm
Origins
Women’s Ecology™
Ecology
Definition: Ecology is the biological study of organisms in relation to each other and their physical surroundings.
Origins: Originated from the Greek word Oikos meaning home or household.
Founder: Ecology was coined and defined as the “relation of the animal both to its organic as well as its inorganic environment” by German zoologist, Ernst Haeckel in 1866.
Human Ecology
Definition: Human ecology is the study of the influence of genetics and the natural, social, and built environments on human development across the lifespan.
Founder: Human Ecology was coined and defined as "the study of the surroundings of human beings and the effects they produce on the lives of men" in 1907 by Ellen Swallow Richards, MS, a chemist, researcher, first woman admitted to MIT, and first president of the American Home Economics Association.
Home Economics: In the 1960s, Home Economics programs, schools, and colleges began changing their names to Human Ecology in response to the decline of interest and value in traditional women’s work (human development, nutrition, herbalism, hygiene, textiles, etc.).
Women’s Ecology™
Definition: Women’s Ecology™ is the integral study of the influence of genetics and the natural, social, built, and ethereal environments on women's holistic development across the lifespan (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical).
Women’s Ecology™ is a new paradigm rooted in self-leadership. It reclaims the ancient and distinct disciplines of women’s spirituality, womanhood, and women’s leadership as spiritual gifts of sacredness, safety, survival, and self-care.
Founder: Women’s Ecology™ was discovered, coined, and defined in 2023 by Hanna Hunt, MEd, a Women’s Ecologist™, home economist, adult educator, and shamanic practitioner. She is a first generation college student, McNair Scholar Alumna, and AmeriCorps VISTA Alumna who dedicated two careers to women with disabilities and Indigenous Elders.