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Eco-Socialism: From Deep Ecology to Social Justice
Abstract
Sumario: Red and green: old or new politics? -- Political economy and political ideology: where greens, marxists and anarchists fit in -- The marxist perspective on nature and environmentalism -- Anarchism and the green society -- Conclusion: socialism and the environment
... However, the attitude of the Burgomaster"s group towards nature, in a sense, is anti-ecological. Yet, their stances show that they fit into the eco-social criticism, as David Pepper (2003) summarizes it: ...
... It rejects the bioethic and nature mystification, and any anti-humanism that these may spawn, though it does attach importance to human spirituality and the need for this to be satisfied partly by non-material interaction with the rest of nature. (232) [13] Hooti and Davoodi (2011) assert that An Enemy of the People "is like a battle between the two concepts" (202) [14.a]-"responsibility" and "manipulation", and classify the doctor and the Burgomaster as the upholders of those respectively, we think that this text says beyond this traditional interpretation. The Burgomaster, a representative of the ruling class, manipulates the common people, and draws them in favor of him, yet he lacks all the ecocentric notions. ...
An Enemy of the People, though is read as one of Ibsen's plays that express freedom of speech, can be read from a new approach-ecocriticism. Ecocriticism studies the prevalent relationship between literature and environment and responses different attitudes of human beings towards nature. An Enemy of the People displays how human beings exploit nature for their own interest and forget their inescapable position-human beings are an inseparable part of nature, and they are not superior to and/or different from nature. Doctor Thomas Stockmann, the eco-friendly man in the play, discovers a latent threat in the baths water, which is polluted because of the commercial waste; he suggests its immediate recovery. In contrast, his brother, the Burgomaster, is unwilling to rectify the problem, because it will need a huge amount of money, and a close up of the baths will affect the town's economy. This paper will try to address such an ecologically sensitive issue in the light of ecocriticism and eco-socialism. The reading will focus on the stances that the doctor and the Burgomaster uphold in their attitude towards nature.
... Second nature developed from first nature, not in opposition to it. Many Western thinkers offered a dichotomy between non-human nature and human society (Pepper 2003), whilst for Social Ecology humankind plays a multifaceted role within nature, being a unique expression of it, still part of it, but often acting in an antagonistic way toward it. ...
Research or concepts in the biological field have often been used as a basis to root political projects of different orientations. In the libertarian literature, there have also been attempts to explore the link between the natural world and the possibility of freedom by combining discoveries in biological fields and research in philosophical/political fields. In the first part of our work, we analyse Peter Kropotkin's thought, especially his theory of mutual aid, focusing on his proto-ecological concepts. This section also focuses on the Social Ecology of Murray Bookchin in the context of the evolution of life in the natural world. The concepts of cooperation, empathy and mutual aid are explored, and also revolution , federalism and egalitarian ethics. In the second part, we review these ideas and concepts, drawing on insights from recent discoveries in the study of ecology and evolutionary biology. We conclude our review by discussing how these natural principles can inform social projects and social organisation, identifying how mismatches between social and biological organisation have contributed to inequality and domination.
... See Hall and Taplin 2007 for a discussion on environmental rhetorical and political strategies on revolution vs reform. For Marxist ecological revolution, see Pepper 1993 andFoster 2014. On revolutionary aspects of ecocentrism and deep ecology, see McLaughlin 1993. ...
There has been a revived interest in the relevance of Kant's philosophy for contemporary global issues. This paper investigates the extent to which Kant's philosophy can provide grounds for addressing the global issue of climate change, despite his seemingly conservative defense of reform over revolution. First, I argue that Kant's account of societal progress as metamorphosis is compatible with the conception of a green revolution understood as restructuring society toward sustainability. Second, I claim that Kant's evolutionary model of political change offers a helpful framework for thinking about how to transition present societies to more sustainable ones. I conclude with reflections on how Kant's views have applied relevance for climate-related problems.
... Önce kapitalizmin gelişimine dair Bookchin ile Georg Lukács (1885-1971), Eric Hobsbawm (1917) ve Max Weber'in (1864-1920 görüşleri karşılaştırılmaktadır. Devamında kapitalizmin topluma ve bireye etkilerine dair Georg Simmel (1858-1918), Ferdinand Tönnies (1855-1936), Jürgen Habermas (1929-), James S. Coleman (1926-1995 seçim kuramı), Marx ile toplumsal ekolojinin görüşleri sunulmaktadır. Kapitalizmin doğaya etkileri ise Arthur P. J. Mol (1960-) ve Gert Spaargaren (1954-, ekolojik Sekizinci bölümde, önce çevre hareketi içindeki yer alan biyomerkezcilik ile liberal çevreciliğe dair Bookchin'in eleştirileri sunulmaktadır. ...
https://aniyayincilik.com.tr/urunler/toplumsal-ekoloji-kuraminin-sosyolojik-analizi/
Bu kitabın amacı, toplumsal ekoloji kuramını incelemek; sosyoloji ve çevre sosyolojisinin temel kuramları ve konuları çerçevesinde tartışmaktır. Bookchin’in geliştirdiği toplumsal ekoloji kuramı, çevre sorunlarına yönelik, derin ekolojinin türcü ve liberal çevreciliğin teknik yaklaşımlarına karşın toplumsal bir yaklaşımdır. Kuram, genelde sosyoloji ve özelde çevre sosyolojisi alanına dahil edilebilir. Kuramsal olarak toplumsal ekoloji, ekolojik krize tahakküm, hiyerarşi ve kapitalizm gibi makro bir çerçeveden yaklaşmaktadır. Bu nedenle mikro değil, makro bir kuramdır. Bookchin’in yoğun ve sert bir biçimde Marx’a, Marksizme ve Eleştirel Okul üyelerine yönelttiği eleştirilere rağmen, toplumsal ekoloji kuramı eleştirel geleneği takip etmektedir. Toplumsal ekoloji kuramı, 20. yüzyılın ikinci yarısındaki geç kapitalizm döneminde ve 68 Hareketi’nin mirası üzerinde geliştirilmiştir. Eleştirel Okul’un vurguladığı sınıf ötesi tahakkümlerin ve hiyerarşilerin yanı sıra ekolojik krizi de temel almaktadır. Kuram, eleştirel geleneğin ekolojik ve ütopyacı bir versiyonudur. Toplumsal ekoloji kuramı, çevre sorunlarının toplumsal niteliğini ve ekolojik krize dönüşmesini göstermede etkilidir. Ancak, eleştirel geleneğin ötesine geçip geçerli bir çözüm önerisi geliştirme çabasında yetersizdir; ütopyacı çerçeveyi aşamamaktadır.
... Socialist responses to these challenges generally grade along three kinds of approaches: state-oriented, interstitial, and prefigurative (see also Pepper 1993). The first sees the state as the main, if not only effective set of institutions to counter and overcome capitalist relations (e.g. ...
... End of an Era, Schumacher mengungkapkan dengan sangat jelas, -Teologi telah lenyap; metafisika telah usang; seni terkadang masih berguna; dan etika hanya sebatas pendapat masing-masing orang saja; karena apa yang tidak bisa diukur, apa yang tidak bisa dikalkulasi secara matematis, tentu saja tak bisa dilukiskan sebagai gagasan yang jelas, pasti, dan nyata.‖71 Itulah pertanda bahwa ilmu pengetahuan telah sepenuhnya terperangkap dalam paham materialis-utilitarian.72 Masih dalam End of an Era, secara konsisten ia menekankan bahwa era yang telah didominasi pemikiran Cartesian selama 300 tahun telah membawa perkembangan ilmu dan teknologi yang mengagumkan sekaligus krisis dan kebangkrutan spritualitas yang sangat-sangat dalam. Melalui Thomas Aquinas, ia mengutip pendapat Aristoteles yang menyatakan, -Pengetahuan yang samar-samar yang mungkin diperoleh dari hal-hal tertinggi lebih berarti daripada pengetahuan paling pasti yang diperoleh dari hal-hal yang lebih rendah.‖ ...
Multidimensional crisis caused by neoliberal economic globalization has led to genocide, ethnocide, and ecocide as well. Such emergency situation has been a deep concern of many people. For example, in recent years, transnational corporations as new leviathan continues to drive many resources exploitation (living and non-living), deforestration, and remove the indigenous people from their lands. The issue of globalization and neoliberalism, that are despotic and hegemonic, has indirectly triggered "the return of Schumacher thought" in the intellectual world. For nearly four decades, the thinking of E.F. Schumacher was absent in the academic discourse in Indonesia. Although once very famous with his Small is Beautiful, his critical thinking to capitalism has not been explored specifically in detail by Indonesian academic.
Basically, this study has two main objectives: first, this research aims to uncover the depth of the Schumacher’s thought on politics, economics and environment as a central contributor to the paradigm and praxis of Eco-socialism, and more particularly of Eco-localism. Second, in the Indonesian context, the study will reveal the contribution of Schumacher’s thinking to the discipline of sociology and to the alternative model of Indonesia development.
The study seeks to re-invent the significance of Schumacher’s thoughts on politics, economics, and environment that contribute to the search for alternative solutions to the multidimensional crisis. Schumacher radical critique of the paradigm of modern economics and all their practices that glorified gigantic economic growth, known as Economism –along with its destructive impacts on various aspects of life, has spawned a "new economics" that prioritizes the small people and the environment. Schumacher called it: "An Economics of Permanence", reffering to Economics that is pro poor and pro ecology as well .
The idea of " Economics of Permanence " -explored in the “Small is Beautiful”- has contributed a significant effect on the paradigm of Eco-socialism movement. As the main notion that opposed to the gigantic power of market fundamentalism regime, Eco-socialism has many braches of its idea, one of the most scrutinized is Eco-localism. Within this Eco-localism the Schumacher’s idea of "sustainable economics" has its most central influence. Eventhough, we still need to explore further some practical models and experiences of Eco-localism in the grassroot level.
Regardless of its limitations in practical terms, Eco-localism as a system of ideas remain interesting and important alternative to be studied and used as a sharp analysis tool of the diverse practices of looting and exploitation by the regime of market fundamentalism.
Key words: eco-socialism, eco-localism, an economics of permanence.
... While the preceding offers a foundation for typifying digital socialism and incorporating a human-machine autonomy that stresses the shared conditions humans and machines occupy with respect to capital, opportunities abound from this foundation. Scholars should consider relationships between eco-socialism (Pepper 2002;Huan 2014) and full automation, especially potential oppositions between raw resources necessary to develop such technologies and the environmental consequences of continued technological development. Additionally, while the politics of full automation largely corresponds to postcapitalist perspectives, Blockchain advocates imagine Blockchain automation as a source for Libertarian autonomy conceived as liberation from central banking and the state (Greenfield 2017;Swartz 2017), indicating a critical need to consider the Blockchain's decentralised structure and politics with an eye towards socialist imperatives. ...
This essay is concerned with conceptualising digital socialism in two ways. First, this essay typifies digital socialism as a real utopian project bringing together the utopian potential of “full automation” as tied to socio-economic imperatives indicative of socialist aims. Second, in recognition of a critical gap between full automation and an emerging technological autonomy, this essay argues for a human-machine autonomy that situates autonomy as a shared condition among humans and machines. By conceiving of humans and automated technologies as autonomous subject aligned against capital, pursuing the aims of digital socialism can anticipate and avoid capitalist ideologies that hinders possibilities for autonomous pursuit of digital socialism.
... Second nature developed from first nature, not in opposition to it. Many western thinkers offered a dichotomy between non-human nature and human society (Pepper 2003), whilst for social ecology humankind plays a multifaceted role within nature, being a unique expression of it, still part of it, but often acting in an antagonistic way toward it. ...
Rio de Janeiro is suffering from increasing environmental damage. Urban social move- ments in the city, however, seem not to be considering this issue at the same level as other issues. The absence of a manifest environmental consciousness by urban social movements in Rio de Janero is striking, particularly from a social ecology point of view. It would seem crucial for them to consider and take action to protect the environment, not only because of the local negative environmental issues, but also for the broad climate change effects connected with them. It seems that urban social movements in Rio de Janeiro follow a pattern in which only when a basic standard of living is ensured and minimal working rights are guaranteed, can they start claiming other rights and concentrate on environmental problems. This work suggests that the holistic approach of social ecology can help urban social movements to have a more understanding of the social and ecological impacts of vari- ous projects and solve the dichotomy Brown vs Green agenda.
... Fourth, the application of the development approach in the enjoyment of ecological resources. Is it socially and environmental economic development, which model is best; environmental determinism, structural functional, structural marxism, modernization, or the development of a dependency approach [14]. Which model is considered the most environmentally friendly. ...
This paper is a review of the social conflicts of indigenous peoples, especially in North Maluku. The purpose of this review is to find out some factors causing indigenous peoples' social conflicts in North Maluku and to produce alternative solutions as a policy to develop indigenous people's livelihoods. The review resulted in several factors causing social conflicts of indigenous peoples such as; the unclear boundary between the two parties, the customary violations by the forest businessmen, the injustice of the law enforcement officers in solving the problems, the destruction of the indigenous people and the forest community narrow forest, the lack positive contribution of forest management so far to indigenous peoples and forest communities, companies do not involve indigenous peoples and/or forest communities in forest exploitation, destruction of customary buildings as places of worship, deforestation, timber exploitation, while timber by indigenous peoples is sacred wood or abstinence to be felled. Alternative solutions are required by local government such as; policy on legal recognition of indigenous peoples, indigenous peoples' empowerment, implementation of indigenous peoples' aspirations, indigenous peoples' economic development based on local wisdom, and dispute resolution of indigenous peoples through special courts of a holistic nature.
... Second nature developed from first nature, not in opposition to it. Many western thinkers offered a dichotomy between non-human nature and human society (Pepper 2003), whilst for social ecology humankind plays a multifaceted role within nature, being a unique expression of it, still part of it, but often acting in an antagonistic way toward it. ...
The present volume offers a mosaic of contributions by scholars from different backgrounds, providing a multi-faceted, problematising picture of relations among humans as well as between the human and the non-human, investigated by environmental studies and social ecological perspectives, and involving labour. In turbulent times like these, systems ecology, political ecology, social ecology, ecocriticism, ecofeminism, environmental justice, and environmental humanities here follow and interlink one another, thus offering plural insights around the themes of society and ecology, while more or less explicitly envisioning a sustainable and equitable transformative path past the social, ecological, and sometimes psychological unbearableness of current modernities.
... With the increasing importance of environmental problems within the academic circles, ecology has entered into the focus of ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, Marxism and anarchism and these ideologies have thus expanded and enlarged with deeper dimensions. Thus, there inevitably appeared such influential academic disciplines and voices as eco-anarchism with Alan Carter (1999), eco-socialism with David Pepper (1993), eco-conservatism with Tony Paterson (1989). ...
Due to their need to support and expand their discourses, movements or ideologies like feminism tend to get articulated to such super structures as socialism, Marxism or ecology. Additionally, in order to extend their ideological circles and empower their potency of action, the superstructures could get articulated into more narrow-scoped infrastructures. In this study, these articulations will be discussed through the theory of ecofeminism, which is mainly formed by bridging ecology and feminism. Ecofeminism is defined as a critical theory that functions as a bridge between the disciplines of feminism and ecology and the theory articulates both of these ideologies.
Essentially, ecofeminism is a radical literary theory and a political movement based on ecology and to some it is a sub-branch of ecocriticism yet to some others it is a sub-branch of feminism which proclaims that the subjugation of the females and the exploitation of nature are all interrelated stratums conducted by a prevailing masculine mindset; thus, this radical ecological criticism necessitates the analyses of these interconnected oppressions. According to the ecofeminist understanding, the patriarchy exerts and maintains its power and domination by making use of authoritative power structures that are based on dualisms like human/nature, men/women, nature/culture. Thus, ecofeminists attempt to destroy all the established dualities and they disseminate ecologically informed societies where equality and liberation are maintained for all genders. In order to destroy all these established dualities, ecofeminists make use of several ideological superstructures as well as various infrastructures and narratives. Within the context of articulation of ideologies, in addition to getting articulated into such ideological superstructures as feminism and ecology, ecofeminism is also exposed to several infra-articulations and infra-divergences within itself. In this study, the ideological articulation of infra- and super-structures will be studied within the context of ecofeminism as the case study.
Keywords: ideology, articulation, ecofeminism, ecology, ecocriticism, feminism
... Bilime, teknolojk gelişmeye, piyasa kuvvetlerine ve yönetim becerisine güvenirler (Pepper, 1993). Bu yaklaşım, teknokratlara; uzmanlara, yöneticilere ve danışmanlara piyasanın genişletilmesini sağlayacak en uygun insanlar olarak ayrıcalık verir, sosyo-ekolojik meseleleri depolitize eder, demokratik katılımı dışlar. ...
POLİTİK EKOLOJİDE DOĞA-TOPLUM DİYALEKTİK
BİRLİĞİNE KURAMSAL BİR BAKIŞ: TOPLUMSAL DOĞA
ve DOĞANIN KAPİTALİST ÜRETİMİ TEZİ
Nejdet ÖZBERK
Özet
Politik ekoloji, doğa ve toplumun insan ve insan dışı varlıkları içeren politik bir
ekonomide birlikte üretildiğini iddia eden bir yaklaşımdır. Pek çok teorisyen, alanı hâkim
insan-çevre ilişkileri yaklaşımının “apolitik” analizinin aksine çevreyle toplumsal ilişkileri
daima politik olarak tanımlar: bu ilişkilerin daima iktidar ilişkileri tarafından
biçimlendirildiği, toplumsal farklılık ve eşitsizlikler tarafından yapılandırıldığı ve yeniden
üretildiği alanın önemli ve ayırıcı argümanlarıdır. Politik ekoloji toplumsal ve çevresel
süreçleri sadece açıklamaya değil, aynı zamanda toplumsal adalet ve radikal siyaset yönelimli
alternatif bir anlayış getirmeye de çalışan bir yaklaşımdır. Batı düşüncesinde toplum doğa
ilişkisini açıklamaya yönelik üç ana yaklaşım vardır: teknomerkezci, ekomerkezci ve
toplumsal. İlk ikisi düalist bir açıdan, doğayı dışsal ve evrensel görür. Bu düalizm çevre
iktisadının teknomerkezciliğinde olduğu gibi yeşillerin radikal ekomerkezciliğinde de
bulunur. Teknomerkezcilik araçsal aklı önceliklendirir ve doğanın kontrolünü insan
mutluluğunun bir aracı olarak görür. Bunun aksine ekomerkezcilik insanlığa değil doğaya
öncelik verir. Fakat üçüncü bir yaklaşım, doğanın toplumsal üretimi yaklaşımının bu iki
yaklaşıma karşı ayrıcı üstünlükleri vardır. Bu yaklaşım toplum (kapitalizm) ve doğa arasında
ontolojik bir ayrımı reddeder, kapitalist bir dünyada doğanın artık doğal olmadığını,
söylemsel (ideolojik) ve maddi düzeyde sermaye birikimi hizmetinde üretildiğini ve çevresel
sorunların ve bunların çözümünün ancak kapitalist ekonomi politiğin gerçekliklerinin
anlaşılması sayesinde açıklanabileceğini ileri sürer. Bu makalede toplumsal doğa ve doğanın
üretimi tezi eleştirel bir yaklaşımla analiz edilmiştir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Politik ekoloji, doğanın ekonomi politiği, doğa toplum
diyalektiği, toplumsal doğa, doğanın üretimi.
A THEORETICAL LOOK AT THE DIALECTICAL
UNITY OF NATURE-SOCIETY IN POLITICAL ECOLOGY:
SOCIALNATURE AND THE CAPITALIST PRODUCTION OF
NATURE THESIS
Abstract
Political ecology is an approach argues that nature and society are produced together
in a political economy that includes humans and non-humans. Many theorists define the field
in opposition to “apolitical” analyses of dominant human–environment relationships: analysis
of ways in which social relationships with the environment are always political, always
shaped by power relationships, and structured by and reproductive of social difference and
inequality, have been major and distinguishing arguments in political ecology. Political
ecology is normative in its approach, that seek not just to explain social and environmental
processes, but to construct an alternative understanding of them, with an orientation toward
social justice and radical politics. In western thought, there have been three major approaches
to nature society relationships: technocentric, ecocentric and social. The first two see in a
dualist way, as external and universal. This dualism, found in the technocentrism of
environmental economics as well as in the radical ecocentrism of greens. Technocentrism,
prioritise instrumental reason and sees the control of nature as a means to the human
happiness. By contrast, ecocentrism place nature rather than humanity first. But the third, the
social production of nature approach has distinct advantages over former conceptualisations.
It denies an ontological separation between society (capitalism) and nature. Its claim is that in
a capitalist world, nature is no longer natural, but instead, actively produced at a discursive
and material level in the service of capital accumulation. The production of nature thesis
suggests that we can best explain environmental questions and their solution through an
understanding of the realities of capitalist political economy. In this article social nature
approach and the production of nature thesis analysed critically.
Key Words: Political ecology, political economy of nature, nature society dialectics,
socialnature, production of nature.
This article contends that the representation of human-nature relationship in children’s literature can map onto its gender politics through a comparative study of multimodal dynamics of Irish and Persian picturebooks. It builds upon the premise that children’s literature can play a significant role in sustainable education and forming pro-environmental values in the process of socialization during childhood. Oliver Jeffers’ The Fate of Fausto: A Painted Fable (2019) and Hoda Hadadi’s I’ll Sow My Hands in the Garden (2020) are examined within the framework of environmental humanities for their verbal and pictorial depictions of the human-nature relationship. The findings convey that characters’ gender and sexual identities can impact their interactions with nature; at the same time, nature can clear a space for expressing and affirming underrepresented and historically marginalized gender and sexual identities in children’s literature through creative and dynamic multimodal interactions between the text and illustrations. A comparative analysis reveals that Jeffers challenges abstract, absolute masculinity and masculine arrogance and calls for reforming the notion of need in modern societies, while more playful and transgressive dynamics between the text and illustrations provide an effective tool for Hadadi who appropriates the poetry of Forugh Farrokhzad, a maverick female writer, to undermine the plots of male homo-sociality and erotic counterplotting with a subversive alternative to heteropatriarchy and anthropocentrism.
Climate change is widely recognised as the greatest threat to public health this century, but ‘climate change and health’ often refers to a narrow and limited focus on emissions , and the impacts of the climate crisis, rather than a holistic assessment of economic structures and systems of oppression. This tunnel vision misses key aspects of the climate change and health intersection, such as the enforcers of planetary destruction such as the military, police, and trade, and can also lead down dangerous alleyways such as ‘net’ zero, overpopulation arguments and green extractivism. Tunnel vision also limits health to the absence of the disease at the individual level, rather than sickness or health within systems themselves. Conceptualising health as political, ecological, and collective is essential for tackling the root causes of health injustice. Alternative economic paradigms can offer possibilities for fairer ecological futures that prioritise health and wellbeing. Examples such as degrowth, doughnut economics and ecosocialism, and their relationship with health, are described. The importance of reparations in various forms, to repair previous and ongoing harm, are discussed. Breaking free from tunnel vision is not simply an intellectual endeavour, but a practice. Moving towards new paradigms requires movement building and cultivating radical imagination. The review highlights lessons which can be learnt from abolitionist movements and progressive political struggles across the world. This review provides ideas and examples of how to break free from tunnel vision for climate change and health by highlighting and analysing the work of multiple organisations who are working towards social and economic transformation. Key considerations for the health community are provided, including working in solidarity with others, prioritising community-led solutions, and using our voice, skills, and capacity to address the structural diagnosis—colonial capitalism.
In this study, I offer a radically biocentric conception of ecosocialism, which is based upon essentially Marxist considerations. In my interpretation, this version of ecosocialism could be conceived as a logical consequence of Marx’s original theory of emancipation. For this reason, biocentric ecosocialism can also be understood as the “theory of radical emancipation”. Radical emancipation entails never treating other living beings (or their communities and populations) entirely as instrumental means. A crucial insight of this study is that the emancipation of humankind can never be separated from the emancipation of nature. This is a moderately ecocentric and moderately holistic theory which, in my interpretation, is capable of founding fundamental rights to all living beings. At a practical level, biocentric ecosocialism encompasses the principle of “dynamic equilibrium,” which relates to the maximization of potential for all living beings. Dynamic equilibrium has three subprinciples: (1) maximizing biodiversity and potential for the entire ecosystem of the planet, (2) minimizing the suffering of living beings, and (3) maximizing the potential of humans, as self-conscious living beings.
The framework of environmental ethics is built, challenging the way we view or interpret environmental education through the eyes of different stakeholders. In this chapter we consider aspects of land and ecological ethics as well as pedagogy as they relate to environmental ethics to form modelling. We classify that environmental ethics are “anthropocentrism,” or the human-centeredapproach; “biocentrism,” or the life-centered approach; and “ecocentrism,” or the ecosystem-centered approach. Environmental paradigms are explored, which include the theories and practices regarding to environmental ethics, new environmental, ecological and behavioral paradigms, and paradigm shifts. Regarding to our choices from environmental values and concerns, we may use a model to detect our problem-solving approach to identify environmental problems we face and, find our practical needs and implement solutions toward sustainability.
This article draws on the groundwork by George Spencer Brown and Niklas Luhmann to outline a general framework for the digital transformation of management and organization theory. It is shown under which conditions guiding distinctions of these fields may be defined as false or true. The framework is applied to selected examples, thus demonstrating that most guiding distinctions of management and organization theory are false. The article concludes with an outlook briefly expanding on the distinction between an electrification and a digital transformation of management and organization theories.
Energy transition is a crucial process in fighting climate change. Most policymakers agree with its importance, however, they follow different approaches toward achieving energy transition. This study examines policymakers’ perceptions of dominant energy resources and their philosophy toward energy transition. The study employed the Q analysis, which is suitable for exploring policymakers’ perceptions. A total of four major environmental philosophies were identified, namely ecocentrism, technocentrism, preventism, and marketism. The analysis of the results concluded that four types of perceptions could be derived from the factor analysis. The most popular type of perception is based on the comprehensive attitude that combines environmental values, safety, and economy. Through the analysis, two crucial implications are suggested: the necessity of energy mix and the long-term feasibility of energy transition. The results of our analysis can serve as useful evidence for establishing a robust energy transition policy.
p>Responding to the socio-ecological impacts associated with conventional surfing tourism, the field of sustainable surf tourism (SST) promotes the sustainable development of Global South surfing destinations. However, while advancing community-based research and governance approaches, SST scholarship has yet to engage with a decolonial critique of the sustainable development paradigm, or employ decolonizing methods in empirical studies, representing aresearch gap this article endeavors to address. This study draws on a postdevelopment conceptual frame useful for reconsidering SST-for-sustainable-development models. Fieldwork in a Costa Rican surf tourism community employed participatory action research (PAR) aligned with decolonizing methodologies to explore alternatives to development in surfing tourism. Research outcomes and discussion examine the postcapitalist framework of diverse economies (Gibson-Graham, 2005) as a decolonial approach to SST research. Conclusions from this study contribute a field example from SST research to extend diverse economic frames and methods in sustainable and regenerative tourism.</p
Money-free economies are a necessary – even if not sufficient – basis for establishing ecosocialism so that freely associated producers can produce to satisfy everyone’s basic needs while taking account of ecological limits. This chapter briefly outlines contemporary economic and environmental challenges, such as vast socio-political and economic inequalities and a global lack of sustainability increasingly couched in terms of emergencies and extinctions, including of humans. Fatal weaknesses of monetary economies that flourish within capitalism are identified. A vision of how such a nonmonetary ecosocialism might operate is outlined. Practical movements already oriented towards money-free societies are discussed. This underdeveloped area of thought and study might well be constituted in future as “real value studies” – building on certain nonmarket socialist thought. Money-free economies allow for the centrality of ecological, social, and humane values, enabling local people to establish direct and participatory decision-making over production on the basis of their real needs.
Die vorliegende Masterarbeit beschäftigt sich aus einer anthropologisch polit-ökologischen Perspektive mit der Umkämpftheit des geplanten Hochwasserschutzprojektes im Eferdinger Becken in Oberösterreich. Letzteres Projekt ist als Reaktion auf das Donau-Hochwasser 2013 auf den Weg gebracht worden, wird aber keineswegs von allen Beteiligten positiv aufgenommen. Das hat damit zu tun, dass das Hochwasserschutzprojekt in einen aktiven und passiven Hochwasserschutz zerfällt und ortsspezifisch mal der eine, mal der andere vorgesehen ist. Bedeutet aktiver Hochwasserschutz beispielsweise die Errichtung von Mauern, zielt ein passiver auf die freiwillige Aussiedlung von hochwassergeschädigten Bewohner*innen ab. Kontroversiell wird es dabei nicht nur im Zusammenhang mit Fragen nach den Gründen für das Hochwasser und nach der Interpretation des Eferdinger Beckens als Landschaft, sondern vor allem in Bezug auf die für etliche Bewohner*innen nicht nachvollziehbare Verteilung der Maßnahmen. Demnach treffen am Beispiel der Verhandlung von Hochwasserschutz divergierende Sinnzusammenhänge aufeinander, die sich an der Frage entzünden, wie Hochwasserschutz als Eingriff in Landschaft auszusehen hat, wen dieser Eingriff vor dem Hintergrund von Machtkonstellationen benachteiligt und wer davon profitiert. Diese materiell-stofflich wie symbolisch-diskursiv vermittelten Sinnzusammenhänge werden in Anlehnung an ein zentrales Konzept der sozialen Ökologie als gesellschaftliche Naturverhältnisse konzeptualisiert und im Rahmen der Arbeit zu fassen versucht.
Für das Vorhaben einer polit-ökologischen Darstellung gesellschaftlicher Naturverhältnisse wird zunächst das Verhältnis von Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie und politischer Ökologie aufgearbeitet. Dabei ist es erklärtes Ziel, politische Ökologie in ihrer polit-ökonomischen Tradition mit Ansätzen aus der "neuren" Umweltanthropologie und benachbarten Feldern zusammenzubringen. Darauf folgend werden zentrale Kategorien einer anthropologisch konnotierten politischen Ökologie erläutert. Im Hauptteil der Arbeit wird auf Grundlage der mittels qualitativer Interviews und teilstrukturierter Fragebögen erhobenen Lebensrealitäten der Menschen vor Ort dargestellt, welche Parteien sich in Hinblick auf Hochwasserschutz durchsetzen können und welche Auswirkungen sich dadurch auf das soziale Gefüge ergeben. Dabei wird deutlich, dass Hochwasserschutz entgegen eines für die Planungs- und Expert*innenseite charakteristischen Naturverhältnisses keine bloß technische, ökonomische oder rechtliche Aufgabe darstellt, sondern als soziale, also von Machtverhältnissen durchdrungene und keineswegs von allen mitgetragene Angelegenheit aufzufassen ist.
The mainstreaming of environmental concerns paradoxically obscures their political dimension: as the goals of environmentalism become accepted, they are reduced to administrative problems to be solved in a purely technocratic way. This technocratic environmentalism has fueled a populist backlash that challenges the scientific basis of environmentalism. As a result, contemporary environmentalism appears to be stuck in a depoliticizing opposition between technocracy and populism. A possible way out of this depoliticizing trap consists in recognizing the intrinsic contestability of the core premises on which environmentalism is based, since it is not merely the result of a straightforward application of scientifically provable facts, but also depends on normative principles and value choices. This opens the possibility for an internal pluralization of environmentalism, which shifts emphasis from the depoliticizing struggle between technocratic environmentalism and populist anti-environmentalism to the inherently political rivalry between different types of environmentalism.
While sustainability was introduced as a game-changing idea, it has often been criticized for its vagueness and its over-accommodating bent toward powerful, vested interests, economic growth, and profit seeking—or, on the contrary, for not being able to enter mainstream politics. As a result, in the current political climate, sustainability policies seem to be everywhere, but so does the social and ecological critique of these policies.
In this article, we articulate the seeds of an emerging cross-sectoral shift away from sustainability and toward social-ecological justice. Coming from a multidisciplinary background, we explore commonalities in the shortcomings of sustainability agendas and identify discursive barriers to change across three critical fields: transport, energy, and urban greening. Within each of these fields, we observe an upswing of scholarly work addressing the pitfalls and trade-offs of sustainability, but we also show how taboos and naturalizations embedded in these fields hinder adequately questioning the economy’s role in sustainability thinking and action.
To develop our argument that there is an emerging cross-sectoral push away from sustainability agendas and toward social-ecological justice goals, we briefly examine the current state of the wider sustainability discourse together with its critique from a social and ecological justice angle. We then review relevant academic work across the applied fields of transport, energy, and urban greening, focusing on the normative and analytical aspects dealt with, and how they address and conceptualize tensions between the different dimensions of sustainability. In the concluding section, we highlight how a focus on sectoral and local tensions between ecological, economic, and social policy goals uncovers the ways in which injustices or environmental degradation are continually reproduced, despite the sustainability framework. We conclude with suggestions for thinking and acting under the umbrella of social-ecological justice.
This Handbook provides an essential guide to the study of resources and their role in socioenvironmental change. With original contributions from more than 60 authors with expertise in a wide range of resource types and world regions, it offers a toolkit of conceptual and methodological approaches for documenting, analyzing, and reimagining resources and the worlds with which they are entangled.
The volume has an introduction and four thematic sections. The introductory chapter outlines key trajectories for thinking critically with and about resources. Chapters in Section I, “(Un)Knowing Resources,” offer distinct epistemological entry points and approaches for studying resources. Chapters in Section II, “(Un)Knowing Resource Systems,” examine the components and logics of the capitalist systems through which resources are made, circulated, consumed, and disposed of, while chapters in Section III, “Doing Critical Resource Geography: Methods, Advocacy, and Teaching,” focus on the practices of critical resource scholarship, exploring the opportunities and challenges of carrying out engaged forms of research and pedagogy. Chapters in Section IV, “Resource-Making/World-Making,” use case studies to illustrate how things are made into resources and how these processes of resource-making transform socio-environmental life.
This vibrant and diverse critical resource scholarship provides an indispensable reference point for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in understanding how resources matter to the world and to the systems, conflicts, and debates that make and remake it.
Nature serves as a recurrent metaphor in Rabindranath Tagore’s Ghare Baire. Throughout the narrative, environmental motifs are constantly evoked not only to highlight the agrarian backdrop of the society but also to explore human relationships and attitudes towards life in general. In chapter eight of the novel, when Nikhil says: ‘It is my desire to plant something greater than Swadeshi. I am not after dead dogs but living trees – and these will take time to grow,’ he articulates a symbiotic voice of empathy, nurture, nourishment and preservation. However, the history student’s reply to Nikhil is a sneering one: ‘I am afraid, sir, that you will get neither log nor tree. Sandip Babu rightly teaches that in order to get, you must snatch’. It is this contrary impulse of ‘snatching’ from and exploiting nature that concurrently runs through the novel. According to Sandip, Earth with its wonderful resources needs to be tamed into submission and exploited. This essay undertakes an eco-critical reading of the novel exploring the contrary forces of preservation and abuse, thereby, also taking a closer look at issues of gender and class that recur in the novel.
The traditional role of biographer as ‘silent witness’ has been replaced by a spectrum of subjective authorial points of view which include that of omniscient narrator and authorial fictional character. This essay argues that the lesser discussed perspective of ‘interpreter’ is more effective in scientific and conservation biographies which aim to elicit environmental engagement from the reader. It uses the interdisciplinary scholarship of environmental interpretation, which ‘involves translating the technical language of a natural science or related field into terms and ideas that people who aren’t scientists can readily understand’ [Ham. 1992. Environmental Interpretation: A Practical Guide for People with big Ideas and Small Budgets. Golden, CO: North American Press, 3] and examples from my own research into the life of Malaysian ecologist Dr Wong Siew Te to explore this perspective.
There is a fundamental contradiction between the valorization of capital and the environment, between the infinite pursuit of the surplus value by the former and the finitude of the latter, between the abstract nature of capital and the diversity and concreteness of nature. Capitalism has begun to deal with this contradiction and initiated the process of “greening.” This was to save capitalism rather than nature, and the application of market mechanisms obscured an alternative path of governance. As part of that alternative path, the government of Fuzhou City actively used capital to restore and improve the environment, and provided ecological goods to the public in the process. However, since the internal contradictions within capitalism always exist, in the process of using private capital for ecological improvement the Fuzhou government still has to overcome its negative effects.
Popularly referred to as the “Blue‐Green conflicts,” the tensions between labor and environmental movements have received extensive scholarly attention as it exposes the trade‐off between the economy and the environment. The jobs versus the environment trade‐off has been a focal point of tension in the relationship between trade‐unions and green movements across the globe. In this article, I critically review the existing literature on labor and environmental conflicts from a Global South standpoint. The review exposes how the extant literature on labor‐environmental relations almost exclusively focuses on cases and settings in the Global North, thereby centering the process of inquiry entirely around western social contexts and movements. In this article, I demonstrate why the conception of environmentalism as a middle‐class phenomenon within the extant literature is problematic as; (a) it fails to consider the poor and working‐class environmental movements in countries in the Global South, and (b) it completely overlooks the environmental justice movements and other working‐class environmental movements in the Global North itself. The review highlights the need to bring postcolonial movements and settings to the center of sociological analysis to decolonize the research on social movements.
Nigeria as a democratic nation-state is ailing. One of the consequences of this ailment is the cascading standard of social justice in the country. Instead of correcting the trend, the leaders continue to rationalize every action taken by government and describe Nigeria’s democracy as being unique to the cultural environment, yet the human-rights violations, political dishonesty and the declining social standards induced by government are not compatible with the tenets of liberal democracy. The civil society, through its organizations and institutions, has been challenged to initiate a plan of ideological reorientation for social and ethical change, using nonconfrontational methods. Drama and theatre, being veritable media of communication are considered extremely suitable in this regard. The method of Theatre for Development is strongly recommended for its potential of using community members to develop and communicate relevant messages to grass root communities. This methodology has been applied with evidence of positive results in health advocacy, environmental education, women and youth development and other issues. The method is also ideal for the possibility of obtaining a feedback from the target audience for impact assessment.
Keywords: Social Justice, Civil Society, Democracy, Nigerian Drama and Theatre for Development.
This thesis investigated Localisation of textile production and practice as a pathway to sustainable living. Underlying theories of Localisation were examined and applied to textile production and practice. Case studies of Irish textile producers identified obstacles and challenges for both local producers and local customers and proposals for solutions were proffered. Global consumption rates of textiles in particular were identified as an underlying issue in building local economies, and found to be unsustainable. Sustainability was identified as a central principle of Localisation. The case was put that a fundamental collective shift in perspective away from consumption and economic growth was therefore necessary. Localisation confronted this issue through the Proximity Principle, which connects people to consequence while focusing on positive and attractive outcomes. It was also suggested that textile practice, both as a 'making' experience, and a social experience, had a key role in design for sustainable living as it engendered connectivity, creativity, critical thinking and innovation. A key finding of the thesis was that sustainability and equity could not be separated, therefore power dynamics that favoured corporate control of collective resources and impinged on civil liberties or actively contributed to climate change would have to be addressed. As such, the 2015 "Paris Agreement," has placed sustainability to the forefront of international governance making the discourse and practice of localisation particularly relevant and perhaps a movement of its time.
p> This study tried to explore the subject of Noer Nasroh Hadiningrat who had found an eco-theological awareness at the Walisongo Islamic Boarding School in Tuban. Ecotheology is an interesting topic in academic studies today. The ecological paradigm that rests on the spirit of this religion is believed to be able to overcome the environmental crisis happening now. The focus of this study seeks to explain how the subject's conception of ecotheology, what actions are carried out? And how sustainability and implications are for the community? Using an ethnographic approach, this study focuses on epic and emic data obtained from the explanation of the subject and facts in the research field. The results of this study found that the ecotheology conception initiated by the subject was a religious reflection that originated from the primary text of Islam combined with traditional wisdom. The establishment of the State Vocational High School (SMKN) is a concrete manifestation of the subject's efforts to integrate beliefs, traditions, and forestry so that they manifest themselves in concrete actions such as reforestation, conservation, and changes in public awareness of the urgency of forest conservation. In the aspect of continuity, the existence of Forestry Vocational Schools is a forum for printing students who have an awareness of forest conservation as well as being able to seek life from it. The idea of Kiai Noer also received support from sons, the government, and the community. This ecotheology conception has also inspired other pesantren to form a similar ecological paradigm. </p
Resumen El artículo explora cómo el expresidente del Ecuador, Rafael Correa, legitimó políticas de desarrollo económico a través de un discurso ambientalista. Se utiliza el análisis del discurso del término 'Derechos de la Naturaleza' como método para ilustrar su condición polisémica. Así, se observa la forma en la que Correa constituye relacionalmente las identidades internas y externas del Ecuador y de sus políticas de desarrollo. Al estudiar los discursos de Rafael Correa durante el periodo 2015-2016, el presente artículo indaga cómo el expresidente del Ecuador cooptó discursos medioambientales para justificar la modernización económica del país y prácticas ecológicas destructivas. Se identifican representaciones vinculadas tanto a retóricas neodesarrollistas como ecosocialistas, así como narrativas neoliberales en oposición a post-neoliberales. Palabras Clave Derechos de la naturaleza-Constructivismo-Neo-desarrollismo-Ecosocialismo-Neoliberalismo-Post-neoliberalismo
While contemporary concern for environmental sustainability can be traced back to Malthus in the eighteenth century, and as far back as Greece in the period of antiquities, sustainability has become a contemporary topic of increasing interest in both academia and industry. Chapter topics include an introduction to the definition, relevance, and history of sustainability. The emerging sustainable business model is compared and contrasted with the traditional business models. While many have argued that capitalism may be the cause of our current environmental state, others argue capitalism is a powerful means to create value while solving our environmental problems. Sustainability is being influenced by several contemporary movements, and future sustainability trends are unfolding, some of which are examined in this chapter.
La síntesis entre marxismo y ecología tiene una dimensión académica (marxismo ecológico) y una dimensión política (ecosocialismo). En su dimensión académica constituye uno de los paradigmas de análisis relevantes en el marco de la Ecología Política, que tiene como perspectiva analizar la incidencia social y política en el acceso y uso de los recursos, así como el impacto de la actividad humana sobre la naturaleza. Relaciona las formas de producción, las desigualdades sociales y los conflictos de clase con la génesis y futuro de las crisis ambientales locales y globales. Como dimensión política constituye un elemento de transformación social que cuestiona la lógica del productivismo, del mercado y de la ganancia en la medida en que provoca la destrucción ambiental, genera desigualdades sociales, socava la reproducción social y conduce a una crisis sistémica de alcance global. Se ha plasmado políticamente de forma fragmentada y no generalizada, pero tiene en común buscar alternativas al capitalismo en la línea de la justicia social y la justicia ambiental.
During the last few years the world has witnessed severe climatic conditions, be it in the form of unprecedented droughts or devastating floods, tornadoes, landslides along with major earthquakes and Tsunamis. Are these natural calamities natural and normal or are these the manifestation of man's adverse impact on the environment? If the nature and frequency of numerous geo-climatic upheavals that the earth is experiencing is compared to the worst case scenario of the climate change advocates, the resemblance seems amazingly similar. A plausible explanation for this could be the fact that mankind does not know how to reign in its need for continuous economic growth without adversely affecting ecological sustainability! This problem of achieving and maintaining sustained economic growth seems to be a problem that is unique to the modern post industrial economy. It is being increasingly realized that the ancient civilizations may have economic systems and practices that was based on living in harmony with nature. Hence, there is a growing clamor to learn from the wisdom of the ancients and incorporate their ideas and practices or in other words learn from the philosophies that have stood the test of time.
That tribal wisdom may be better equipped to deal with natural calamity was vividly displayed a few years ago in India. When the massive Tsunami of December 26th, 2004 ravaged Asia, one of the hardest hit region was the remote chain of some 500 islands known collectively as the Andaman and Nicobar. Inhabited by hunter gatherer tribes that have little contact with the outside world, anthropologists initially feared the tribes could have been completely wiped out. However it was soon discovered that the tribal community used their ancient knowledge of nature to escape the Tsunami. One of the tribes that lives there are the Onge. They are estimated to have lived in the islands for 30000–50000 years. Numbering some one hundred individuals, they are on the verge of extinction. However, in the Tsunami, they suffered no casualties as their folklore speaks of large waves that follows earthquakes, so all of them retreated to the high grounds.
As north east India is home to numerous traditional societies that have followed old age practices up to the modern times, this region could make significant contribution to the sustainability discourse. Tribal communities and indigenous religions the world over are accepted repositories of ancient knowledge and wisdom. Significantly, with the tribal communities, such knowledge systems are living traditions. Thus such living knowledge systems could be an important source of guidance for modern man in his quest for sustainability. For the purpose of this paper, the Khasi sacred forest were used as a case study to understand what lessons it can offer in our quest to conserve our forests and also achieve sustainability.
Following directly from the last chapter’s theorisation of Clare’s ‘green’ textual practice, and the problems inherent in his manuscripts, this chapter considers the relationship Clare had to print culture, assesses from where his peculiar problems and responses might stem, and discusses the recent, tortured critical history of the editing and presentation of Clare’s texts. The argument then turns to the manner in which Clare presents himself as a maker of text, and how that might inform future editions of his work, especially if editors are more open about the politics and intentions of their editing projects.
Because of their status of res nullius —owned by no one—property theory is underdeveloped in regard to wildlife. In this article, wildlife is seen to be sometimes subject to a shadow ownership by class interests in society. Hunters accuse protected wolves of being the “pets” or “property” of an urban-based conservationist middle class. This phenomenon fragments the common fauna and undermines responsibility taking and policy compliance for wildlife that is seen as being owned by an oppositional social class. Using an empirical case study of Swedish hunters, we show how responsibility for wildlife has become entangled with property rights. A historical materialist analysis reveals that hunters once experienced ownership of wildlife by the nobility as co-opting state coercive power. Today, however, aristocracy is replaced by a new elite class of conservationists. Noting the hunters’ tendency to evoke quasi-aristocratic virtues of ownership, we advance recommendations for an alternative approach. We appeal to deliberative democracy to promote the “communing” of wildlife across classes in fora that withstand co-optation by class interests.
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