environmental justice / social construct of nature Flashcards
(12 cards)
what is environmental justice?
need for equitable distribution of environmental goods (parks, clean air, healthy working conditions) and environmental bads (pollution, hazards, waste) between people.
what is environmental injustice?
a condition where unhealthy or dangerous conditions are disproportionally proximate to minority communities.
example where race is a social construct
roman/greek figures are white - this is a myth; the color had faded over time, they are actually painted with dark skin and black hair. white is seen as an upper-class color.
what is a social construct?
social mechanism or category created by society; a perception of an individual or group that is constructed through cultural or social practice - blue for boys, pink for girls - “material world”.
what is environmental discourse?
pristine wilderness - desertification.
framework that embraces particular combinations of narratives, concepts, ideologies, and signifying practices
what are the impacts of environmental discourse?
Knowledge/Power: Prevalence of a particular view to the exclusion of other pieces of knowledge. The discourse becomes truth.
Policies: Wilderness - removal of people from ‘natural’ areas. Continued promotion (and sale!) of certain kinds of nature at the expense of others
Desertification: settlement of migratory peoples, de-stocking of herds, land-use change.
Creation of certain kinds of natures.
social construction of wilderness
Social construction view: wilderness is a human creation with specific cultural and historical meaning.
dominate view of wilderness
Dominate view: wilderness is land that is untouched by humans, it is pure nature.
what was the main concept of the Yellowstone model?
“forever free from occupancy” .. retained in their “natural condition” “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people”
why were the native Americans removed from Yellowstone?
Misused the land (hunting, burning). Ruined the pristine beauty of the landscape
who is Teddy Roosevelt?
the leading conservationists in the US. leading hunter in Africa - killed 500 animals in 10 weeks - said it was for science and sent the bodies off for research.
what does sublime mean?
pristine
