This study examines the environmental identity processes of Philadelphians involved in volunteer local everyday urban environmental stewardship through tree plantings and prunings, urban gardening, and neighborhood cleanups. A hybrid theoretical framework for environmental identities that simultaneously incorporates structural, discursive, and material concerns through the ground of everyday life was adapted from the political ecology of the body developed by Hayes-Conroy and Hayes-Conroy (2013). Three qualitative methodological techniques were performed: in depth interviews, participatory observation, and neighborhood walking tours. Results highlight the emotional and affective connections that participants held with their neighborhoods, neighbors and other participants, and trees and other nonhuman others. / Geography

Access to water is essential for every aspect of human life. Lack of water is a huge burden for people in low- and middle-income countries, directly linked to poverty, and considered a severe violation of human rights. Women are traditionally responsible for water collection and providing water for the household and consequently suffer from more burdens than men. This study aims to examine the gendered experiences of water scarcity in Gburimani, northern Ghana. By investigating the diversity of impacts of lived experiences, both within and beyond households, the purpose is to raise awareness of the community's situation and illuminate the importance of having an intersectional and gender-based perspective on the issue of water scarcity. This case study is conducted through the methods of work in the field, participatory method, and semi-structured interviews, and positions within the heart of decolonial feminism. The results are analyzed through insights and arguments from Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) and intersectionality. The results demonstrate that the social construction of gender and socio-cultural identities influences the diversity of experiences reflected in the community. The study concludes that gender division of labor, power structures, gendered responsibilities, and rights all determine that women are more vulnerable and face more burdens than men. However, the participants cannot be understood as a homogenous category with common submissions and oppressions. Gender, marital-and social status, age, and household positions are crucial variables influencing the extent of impacts and consequences. Therefore, the research stresses the importance of development actors to acknowledge the complexity of water and gender.

Since the 1970s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been promoted as an alternative to the singular reliance on pesticides to control agricultural pests. IPM involves the combination of chemical and non-chemical pest management practices to minimize pest damage to crops and reduce overall pesticide use. Although IPM has been promoted in both industrialized and Third World countries to reduce environmental and human health problems associated with pesticide use, it has not been widely adopted, particularly among small-scale farmers in the Third World. An important technical constraint to the adoption of IPM is the lack of simple, effective IPM techniques that farmers can easily incorporate into their existing farming systems. However, numerous non-technical constraints discourage farmers from adopting those IPM practices that have already been shown to be effective. Non-technical constraints to the adoption of IPM are the external political-economic forces and location-specific environmental, social and economic factors that may create obstacles to the adoption of IPM practices at the farm level. This thesis will use a political ecology approach to identify and examine the non-technical constraints to the adoption of IPM in the community of Denbigh Kraal in Jamaica. / Master of Science

Forces of development are constantly affecting rural communities in the expanding world economic system. My research with the Garifuna fishermen of Hopkins, Belize, demonstrates the systematic articulations among national export-oriented economic development strategies, rural impoverishment, and environmental degradation. Within a political ecology framework, I document the impact of a shrimp trawling program on the subsistence fishermen of Hopkins, Belize, its impact on the effective marine environment of the subsistence fishermen, and their responses to it. The data gathered for this micro-level study are based on a total of six weeks of on-site, participant observer research in Hopkins on two separate trips. Taped interviews with approximately three-quarters of the active fishermen of Hopkins, along with interviews with other Hopkins residents and government fisheries officials, fishery production and export records from three sources, (the World Bank, the Belize Department of Statistics and the Belize Department of Fisheries) and my own observations provide the documentation of the trawlers impact on the marine environment and the subsistence fishermen of Hopkins. Much of the work of other geographers on Third World development issues shows that rural communities have suffered from political, economic, environmental, and cultural factors that threaten their way of life. My work reveals the current situation in Hopkins, Belize, as part of this process. / Master of Science

Greenway trails, or linear community parks, are growing in popularity around the world and are increasingly prevalent in cities of all sizes in the United States. At their best, greenways can provide affordable transportation, access to jobs, safe recreation space, community building, biodiversity protection, stormwater drainage, and air and noise quality benefits. Yet, commonly, neoliberal governance and design of greenways leads to diminished social and environmental design in favor of economic development. Intentional design for social, environmental and economic stability is crucial for successful greenways, though they are often viewed as innately sustainable. Urban Political Ecology (UPE), Actor Network Theory (ANT), and Campbell's Sustainable Development are used together as lenses to better understand the greenway development process and its outcomes. This research is a case study of the Roanoke River Greenway (RRG) in Roanoke, Virginia which was conducted in attempt to discover who benefits from the greenway, in what ways, and by what means. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and mapping combined to answer research questions. Participants were eleven neighborhood residents, five greenway commissioners, and five city and regional leaders involved with the greenway. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and grouped into themes, along with map data and field notes. I combined these methods to draw conclusions that shed light on the complex system surrounding the RRG. Conclusions are (1) that residents who live near the greenway and want to use it for recreational purposes as well as the City of Roanoke and its elite class of businessowners and homeowning residents who live near the greenway benefit the most from the RRG benefit because the greenway is catered toward recreation and economic development, in form, function, and process, (2) that the system which enables these benefits and prioritizes their beneficiaries is the greenway's evolving planning process, a system both steeped in mindsets of traditional economic development and exclusive planning aesthetics and imbued with innovative approaches of connecting residents to the outdoor environment, and (3) that Roanoke's greenway movement is strong because of its popularity but is vulnerable, because there are no provisions to officially protect it for the future, in terms of maintenance, increased use, and public opinion. Implications for praxis are that communities with greenway trails should diversify the people and perspectives who have power in the planning practice, that environmental and social design should be addressed directly and consistently in greenway development and maintenance, and greater outreach efforts should be made to residents in order to make the greenways more accessible and welcoming to diverse users. Implications for research are for increased research conducted with low-income and minority residents and on microlevel social and economic impacts in neighborhoods. / Doctor of Philosophy / Greenway trails, or linear community parks, grow in popularity around the world and are increasingly prevalent in cities of all sizes in the United States. At their best, greenways can provide affordable transportation, access to jobs, safe recreation space, community building, biodiversity protection, stormwater drainage, and air and noise quality benefits. Yet, commonly, neoliberal governance and design of greenways leads to diminished social and environmental design in favor of economic development. Intentional design for social, environmental and economic stability is crucial for successful greenways, though they are often viewed as innately sustainable. Urban Political Ecology (UPE), Actor Network Theory (ANT), and Campbell's Sustainable Development are used together as lenses to better understand the greenway development process and its outcomes. This research is a case study of the Roanoke River Greenway (RRG) in Roanoke, Virginia which was conducted in attempt to discover who benefits from the greenway, in what ways, and by what means. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and mapping combined to answer research questions. Participants were eleven neighborhood residents, five greenway commissioners, and five city and regional leaders involved with the greenway. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and grouped into themes, along with map data and field notes. These combined to draw conclusions that shed light on the complex system surrounding the RRG. Conclusions are (1) that residents who live near the greenway and want to use it for recreational purposes as well as the City of Roanoke and its elite class of businessowners and homeowning residents who live near the greenway benefit the most from the RRG benefit because the greenway is catered toward recreation and economic development, in form, function, and process, (2) that the system which enables these benefits and prioritizes their beneficiaries is the greenway's evolving planning process, a system both steeped in mindsets of traditional economic development and exclusive planning aesthetics and imbued with innovative approaches of connecting residents to the outdoor environment, and (3) that Roanoke's greenway movement is strong because of its popularity but is vulnerable, because there are no provisions to officially protect it for the future, in terms of maintenance, increased use, and public opinion. Implications for praxis are that communities with greenway trails should diversify the people and perspectives who have power in the planning practice, that environmental and social design should be addressed directly and consistently in greenway development and maintenance, and greater outreach efforts should be made to residents in order to make the greenways more accessible and welcoming to diverse users. Implications for research are investigations into residents who do not use the greenway, for long-term and minority residents.

As part of a USAID-funded integrated pest management (IPM) project, this thesis presents research conducted across four communities in midwestern Nepal We conducted semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation with local farmers and NGOs. Grounded in feminist political ecology (FPE) and drawing on the social relations approach (SRA), we sought to engage with the feminization of agriculture narrative and understand how it interacts with IPM practices and decision-making. This research responds to a growing interest within development in the feminization of agriculture as a potentially empowering or disempowering global process of change, conceptualized through the ways that male out-migration affects the labor and decision-making roles of women and other household members left behind on the farm. We find that contextual factors change the implications of the feminization of agriculture narrative. Co-residence with in-laws and varied migration patterns influence the dynamic nature of household structure and headship. Migration patterns have pushed women to take on new agricultural duties and manage increasing household labor responsibilities. Additionally, IPM vegetable cultivation is changing how farmers use and value their land through increasing crop diversification. Agricultural decision-making processes related to these different forces extend beyond the household, and participation in community spaces through the IPM project may contest traditional gender norms. We contend that the heterogeneity of household power dynamics muddies the potentially empowering or disempowering effects of the feminization of agriculture, and we emphasize the importance of community spaces as a locus of decision-making in the sustainability of new agricultural technologies. / M. S.

This paper examined the complex factors involved in China's Three Gorges Dam (TGD) project from a political ecological perspective, focusing on the social and environmental impacts of the project, as well as national ambitions and local realities, within 20 years after its completion.  This study fills in the gap in understanding socio-political implications of large water conservancy facilities in the context of non-Western capitalism in China, especially under its centralized system. It offers TGD as an important case for the study of political ecology in Asia. The paper mainly analyzes the impact of TGD project ecologically and socially over the 20 years following the construction, from both the perspectives of the state and the migrants. Furthermore, in the context of the larger historical evolution, the dynamic relationship between the role and power of the government in China as a hydraulic society in the 21st century is examined.   To achieve this goal, the study employed qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews, context analysis, and social impact assessments. The main findings are reflected in a twofold narrative: the state highlighted the environmental and economic benefits of the TGD project, which has boosted the country's development. However, the displaced migrants have faced material and spiritual challenges for 20 years. The whole process has also revealed the imbalance between central decision-making and local implementation, resulting in corruption and credibility problems for governments, as well as economic losses for migrants.  In general, this paper offers a detail understanding of the government role and resource management strategies in China, by applying political ecology and hydraulic society theory in TGD project. At the same time, it contributes to the global discussion on the development-induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR). It also provides a new discussion on the complex relationship between the social background and the natural environment of large-scale water conservancy facilities. Ultimately, the article enriches the field of political ecology with an in-depth case study of TGD, highlighting the unique aspects of dam construction within China’s political framework. / Detta examensarbete analyserar Kinas största vattendamsprojekt Three Gorges Dam (TGD). Genom att kombinera ett politiskt-ekologiskt perspektiv med kvalitativa forskningsmetoder så bidrar examensarbetet till forskning för att förstå sociopolitiska implikationer av storskaliga vattenkraftsprojekt och bidrar mer specifikt med en fallstudie från Kina som ett icke-västligt land med centraliserat beslutssystem. Fokus var på TGDs sociala och miljömässiga effekter 20 år efter det att det slutförts och inkluderade analyser av statliga ambitioner, lokala realiteter, samt erfarenheter från de miljontals migranter som projektet gav upphov till. Regeringens roll och makt i Kina tolkas dessutom baserat på teorin kring ”hydrauliska samhällen” för att fånga in statens roll i att kontrollera vatten och studien bidrar därmed till att placera TGD som central inom Kinas bredare historiska och moderna utveckling. Studien använde kvalitativa forskningsmetoder, inklusive (i) kontextanalys av dokument från staten, kommunistpartiet, nyhetsmedia och organisationer; (ii) metoder från social konsekvensbedömning av stora projekt; samt (iii) semistrukturerade intervjuer av migranter. De viktigaste resultaten återspeglas i en dubbel berättelse: staten lyfte fram de miljömässiga och ekonomiska fördelarna med TGD-projektet som den menar har stärkt landets utveckling. De fördrivna migranterna har dock stått in förmateriella och personliga utmaningar under de 20 år som gått vilket inte uppmärksammats inom staten eller knappt i media. Hela processen, från planering till idag, avslöjar obalansen mellan centralt beslutsfattande och lokalt genomförande, vilket resulterat i korruption och trovärdighetsproblem för staten, såväl som ekonomiska förluster för migranter. Baserat på politisk ekologi och teorier kring hydrauliska samhällen, så ger examensarbetet således en detaljerad förståelse av regeringens roll och resursförvaltningsstrategier i Kina. Samtidigt bidrar det till internationella diskussioner kring hur storskaliga projekt bidrar till vad vissa kallar ”utvecklingsinducerad migration” (Eng. development-induced displacement and resettlement, DIDR). Arbetet bidrar också till diskussioner kring hur samhälle och miljö sammanflätas på komplexa sätt genom storskaliga dammar och vattenkraftsanläggningar. Examensarbetet berikar fältet politisk ekologi med en djupgående fallstudie av TGD och lyfter fram Kinas unika aspekter som land och politisk ekonomi.

Cette thèse analyse les relations de pouvoir qui se jouent autour des enjeux environnementaux (gestion de l'eau et changement climatique) dans le processus de construction étatique de l'Autorité palestinienne, entité gouvernementale sous régime d'aide et marquée par l'occupation israélienne. Elle mobilise la sociologie de l'action publique, la political ecology et les science and technology studies afin d'étudier les processus multi-échelles de co-construction de l'ordre social et de l'environnement à travers les savoirs, la définition des problèmes et les politiques adoptées pour y répondre. Cette recherche analyse les liens entre l'aide internationale, le développement, l'environnement et la volonté de consolidation du pouvoir de l'Autorité palestinienne. Elle se penche sur la circulation et l'hybridation des savoirs et des solutions d'action publique. En dehors de l'action des décideurs nationaux et internationaux, d'autres acteurs (ONG, organisations humanitaires) interviennent et mobilisent d'autres représentations des problèmes environnementaux et des solutions à apporter en interactions avec leurs représentations du territoire et du conflit. Cette thèse se fonde sur une série d'entretiens et de discussions informelles, la littérature grise sur le sujet et de nombreuses observations participantes. / This thesis analyses the power relations involved in environmental issues (water management and climate change) and the process of state building of the Palestinian Authority, an entity dependent on international aid and under israeli occupation. This thesis mobilises sociology of public action, political ecology and science and technology studies in order to examine the multi-level processes of co-construction of social order and environment through knowledges, problems definition and public policies adopted to tackle them. This research analyses the interactions between international aid, development and environment and the objective of empowerment of the Palestinian Authority. It focuses on the circulation and hybridisation of knowledge and public policy solutions. Beyond national and international decision makers, other actors such as NGOs or humanitarian organisations participate and mobilise other representations of environmental problems and solutions in relation with their representations of the territory and the conflict. This thesis is based on a series of interviews, informal discussions, grey literature dealing with the subject and observational work.

This research explores differences in environmental worldviews and connections to the land globally and more specifically in a case study of NGOs working in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest. The aims of this project are to investigate different environmental worldviews expressed between western NGOs and non western local NGOs and to pose these questions 1) what environmental worldviews and ethics are at play in addressing conservation globally and specifically in the Cloud Forest of Ecuador? 2) How do these worldviews influence models for conservation? 3) How do locally-run projects differ from foreign NGOs in addressing the combined needs of the environment and the people in Ecuador? I work to establish a framework for comparing the environmental worldviews of foreign environmental NGOs that of local NGOs, by researching environmental worldviews around the world as influenced by culture, society, history and religion. By using research on case studies done by Jim Igoe, Carolyn Merchant, John Schelhas and Max Pfeffer, I explore the dominant Western worldview of conservation and how its introduction of the National Park model has impacted local communities globally. By comparing this Western worldview of conservation via preservation in National Parks to the nonwestern worldview of integrative models for conservation, I hope to establish a framework for how looking at conservation from the perspective of local communities may prove more beneficial to the future of conservation projects globally. This case study centers around four main community-based conservation projects in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest and asks how their grassroots operations differ from the Ecuadorian National Park system in their efforts to educate and support local communities. This project proposes to dissect these projects designed by local and foreign NGOs to see how they are shaped by their environmental worldviews and whether that worldview includes just the needs of the environment or takes into account the needs of the people as well. This is done through a combination of participant observation and semi-structured open-ended interviews. All data in this ethnography is qualitative and draws on three bodies of literature that serve as frames or approaches to this topic: environmental worldviews, political ecology, and environmental justice. By using these three approaches I show that the environment and ultimately efforts for conservation do not exist within a vacuum but rather lay within a broader context of beliefs, society, and history. / Graduation date: 2012

Doctorat en sciences sociales, politiques et économiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished