Socioenvironmental Injustice across the Global Divide

IF 1.3 Q3 DEVELOPMENT STUDIES Sociology of Development Pub Date : 2023-01-01 DOI:10.1525/sod.2023.0008
Nikhil Deb, Louise Seamster
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引用次数: 2

Abstract

This paper explores the connections between two seemingly disparate cases of socioenvironmental injustice: Flint’s water crisis in Michigan, USA, and Union Carbide’s toxic chemical release in Bhopal, India. Engaging our empirical and theoretical insights from these two cases, this paper illustrates how marginalized people in distant settings can face similar socioenvironmental struggles. Considering Bhopal and Flint as instances of slow violence and institutional betrayal, the article makes two key arguments. First, treating these crises as discrete events obscures their sustained assault on people deemed expendable by their governments. Second, institutions charged with protecting people in distress can magnify and extend suffering. The paper analyzes institutional betrayal as a mechanism of slow violence: survivors can suffer lingering consequences when seeking restitution from regulatory bodies that may be responsible or complicit. We find that government responses and denials have caused prolonged violence in these regions. The paper concludes by urging scholars to compare socioenvironmental injustice globally, to believe residents, and to reject false end dates for crises.
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跨越全球鸿沟的社会环境不公正
本文探讨了两个看似不同的社会环境不公正案例之间的联系:美国密歇根州弗林特的水危机和印度博帕尔联合碳化物公司的有毒化学物质排放。本文结合我们从这两个案例中获得的经验和理论见解,说明了偏远地区的边缘化人群如何面临类似的社会环境斗争。考虑到博帕尔和弗林特是缓慢暴力和制度背叛的例子,文章提出了两个关键论点。首先,将这些危机视为独立事件,掩盖了它们对政府认为可以牺牲的人的持续攻击。其次,负责保护处于困境中的人的机构可能会放大和延长痛苦。本文分析了制度性背叛作为一种缓慢暴力的机制:幸存者在向可能负有责任或同谋的监管机构寻求赔偿时,可能会遭受挥之不去的后果。我们发现,政府的反应和否认导致了这些地区长期的暴力。论文最后敦促学者们在全球范围内比较社会环境不公正,相信居民,并拒绝为危机设定错误的结束日期。
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来源期刊
Sociology of Development
Sociology of Development Social Sciences-Development
CiteScore
1.90
自引率
8.30%
发文量
14
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