Synopses & Reviews
Political ecology is a field that seeks to make sustainable outcomes more possible and imaginable, but also to critique and undermine the foundations of environmental injustice and destruction - from the wetland shores of the Gulf of Mexico and the forests of India to the slums of Tijuana and the suburbs of Arizona.
Written in clear and straightforward language and fully updated in the light of recent events, this new edition of Political Ecology presents the core concepts, central thinkers, and key works of a fast-growing and highly eclectic field. Using urban and rural examples from both the developed and underdeveloped world, the book provides the first full history of the development of political ecology over the last century and considers the major challenges facing the field now and for the future.
With study boxes, a range of illustrations, and new material throughout, this second edition argues that this urgent field, though chaotically diverse, is unified by a loose community of practice and by a certain kind of text, writing, and argument.
Review
"What is political ecology and where does it get us? In response to these questions, Robbins's book opens the can of worms for neophytes, provides a handy text for teachers, and traces an untidy field's trajectories for a contentious constituency of scholarly practitioners. This update on the classic first edition is both rigorous and clear, demonstrating why environmental problems are fundamentally
socio-natural; demanding critical analysis and political solutions."
—Nancy Lee Peluso, University of California, Berkeley
"Good second editions of seminal works build on strengths, consolidate, update and innovate. Paul Robbins manages all these handsomely. He also keeps the coherence, vitality and reputation of political ecology as a whole firmly in view. Rewarding reading!"
—Piers Blaikie, University of East Anglia
"An outstanding text told in vivid and accessible prose. Robbins examines the questions and practices that animate the body of research known as political ecology. Indispensable reading for students, scholars, and practitioners interested in environment and development issues."
—Judith Carney, University of California, Los Angeles
Synopsis
This fully updated new edition introduces the core concepts, central thinkers, and major works of the burgeoning field of political ecology.
- Explores the key arguments and contemporary explanatory challenges facing the sub-discipline
- Provides the first full history of the development of political ecology over the last century and its theoretical underpinnings
- Considers the major challenges facing the field now and for the future
- Study boxes introduce key figures in the development of the discipline and summarize their most important works
- Fully updated to include recent events, such as the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, as well as both urban and rural examples, from the developed and underdeveloped world
About the Author
Paul Robbins is Professor and Director of the School of Geography and Development at the University of Arizona. He is the author of numerous publications including World Regions in a Global Context: People, Places, and Environments (with S. Marston, P.Knox, D. Liverman and V. Del Casino, 2010), Environment and Society: A Critical Introduction (with J. Hintz and S. Moore, Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), and Global Political Ecology (co-edited with R. Peet and M. Watts, 2011).
Table of Contents
Preface to the Second Edition vii
Introduction 1
Part I What is Political Ecology? 9
1 Political versus Apolitical Ecologies 11
2 A Tree with Deep Roots 25
3 The Critical Tools 49
4 Political Ecology Emerges 82
Part II Conceptual and Methodological Challenges 101
5 Challenges in Ecology 103
6 Challenges in Social Construction 122
7 Challenges in Explanation 143
Part III Political Ecology Now 155
8 Degradation and Marginalization 157
9 Conservation and Control 176
10 Environmental Confl ict 199
11 Environmental Subjects and Identities 215
12 Political Objects and Actors 231
Part IV Where to Now? 245
13 Beyond Political Ecology? 247
References 254
Index 277