Conservation and Globalization: A Study of National Parks and Indigenous Communities from East Africa to South Dakota (Case Studies on Contemporary Social Issues)

Book Description

CONSERVATION AND GLOBALIZATION opens with a discussion of these two broad issues as they relate to the author's fieldwork with Maasai herding communities on the margins of Tarangire National Park in Tanzania. It explores different theoretical perspectives (Neo-Marxist and Foucauldian) on globalization and why both are relevant to the case studies presented. Readers are introduced to the practice of multi-sited ethnography and its centrality to the anthropological study of globalization. While drawing on examples from specific Maasai communities, the book is more broadly concerned with the historical and contemporary links between these communities and a global system of institutions, ideas, and money. The ecological incompatibility of Western national park-style conservation with East African savanna ecosystems and Maasai resource management practices, are highlighted. The concept of national parks is traced temporally and geographically from Maasai communities to the enclosure movement in 18th century England and westward expansion in 19th century North America. The relationships of parks to Judeo-Christian assumptions about "man's place in nature," colonial ideologies like Manifest Destiny and the Civilizing Mission, and capitalist notions of private property and "The Tragedy of the Commons," are explored. The book also looks at the latest conservation paradigm of "Community-Based Conservation," and explores its connections to the Soviet Collapse, economic and political liberalization, and the global proliferation of NGOs.

Customer Reviews:

Inspiration for Aspiring Community Development Reseachers.......2004-03-04

From the first page of his introduction, Jim Igoe's assertiveness in presenting his work on why and how community-based conservation is failing in parts of Tanzania as well as in the United States hits readers hard, sparking their interest in these issues. Over the last decade the term conservation has reached a fluid state in which it presents the world with a new obstacle of maintaining a balance between humans and the environment, which will ideally promote reciprocal productivity in a sustainable measure. Igoe's account of the state of conservation surrounding National Parks in both the United States and Northern Tanzania is unique. Not only was he able to portray his experiences in a manner in which a western reader can relate to, but he was also able to maintain an outside perspective while becoming immersed in a new culture. In affect, Igoe was able to make correlations between two indigenous cultures who are experiencing similar struggles as they have been pushed off their land in the interest of national conservation. Additionally, he critically assesses the current approaches, which are being used to address the issue of conflict between indigenous people, political leaders and environmental conservationists.
I found two dominant strengths in this literature, the first of which is his use of diverse cultural examples. As an undergraduate student with a strong interest in this topic as well as some previous knowledge concerning the issues presented, I found Igoe's narrative style refreshing as well as engaging. Readers are able to get a direct insight into the Maasai culture and a clear historical account of the implications of colonialism and religion. Additionally, Igoe presents the progression of the development of national parks and what resulted in western fortress conservation in Tanzania. Together this information provides a solid background allowing readers who are both educated and new to these topics to gain a better understanding of how the current state of conservation arose. Secondly, his combination of information creates a piece of literature that addresses critical global issues, which can be applied to a wide variety of disciplines. Alone this speaks highly for the books adaptability in various classrooms as well as a reference for professionals in various fields. Furthermore, it supports the fact that in order for new forms of conservation to be successful it is necessary to bring together experts in various social, political, and scientific disciplines.

Conservation Through the Eyes of a Native.......2004-01-04

The social consequences that conservation brings to indigenous people has often been ignored by those trying to protect natural resources and wildlife. Jim Igoe explains and displays what happens and has happened to the people who live outside the famous national parks many of us know and cherish around the world. He presents case studies of how people who live outside the parks have suffered all over the globe. He describes this situation with passion and personal examples, as he lived with many of the people he describes. His work has given him a unique perspective, as he did not travel or live like the typical tourist who wants to view the native flora and fauna that has been protected.

The book's primary focus is East Africa, but Jim includes a substantial amount of material from other regions and cultures. His strength, in this text, is his ability to look at conservation through a global lens, but with a native's perspective. His knack for engaging people at all levels shows in this book. Jim's writing is easy to follow, crystal clear, and relates his first hand experiences and examples in a way that quickly give his work broad appeal. He brings to life the reality of indigenous people struggling to adapt to globalization and the pressure on natural resource base they have relied on for centuries.

This book has appeal at many levels. For high school and undergraduate students it offers an interesting examples of how important anthropology is to understanding the human issues of many global problems. His personal examples and ideas offer discussion points, which once read will not be forgotten. For graduate students Jim offers many ideas on how his own work with NGO's (Non government organizations) got started, progressed, and changed his life. The importance of understanding land tenure, community control, the role of NGO's and different types of parks, as well as the capacity of the local people are all shown to clearly impact both conservation and local people. For conservationists, researchers, and the general public this book offers a unique perspective and voice of the people who have been displaced, lost their livelihoods, and in a few cases successfully adapted to this change.

Globalization has affected us all, and in many cases has had negative consequences for indigenous people. Jim clearly shows that there are much larger forces at work than simply protecting interests of the wildlife and wild areas. Exploring policies of the National Park Service in the United States, as well as policies of other countries, he weaves together the similarities and clearly points out the different ways in which natural resources are managed. In addition to offering an important critique of failed policies, Jim Igoe offers alternative solutions necessary for both the environment and social justice, while providing lessons in history, land tenure and policy making from all over the globe. I recommend this book to all of my students traveling abroad to work with indigenous people.

A clear and challenging account.......2003-12-11

Good authorship requires two things - a story to tell and good way of communicating it. Jim Igoe has both in buckets. Conservation and Globalisation is a clear and challenging story of how conservation practices can disrupt local lives and how apparently straightforward solutions to the problems resulting are riven with complexity and difficulty.

The book is based primarily on fieldwork in East Africa and Prof Igoe's enlivens his account of the problems of understanding the worlds he encountered there with a down to earth uncomplicated style that takes the reader right out to the towns and plains where the work was conducted. This is a must-read for any student contemplating ethnographic or anthropological fieldwork. But its scope is far more than merely East Africa. Prof Igoe's pen takes us to England before the Industrial Revolution and to the latest developments in National Parks in the US, Australia, Nepal, Brazil and Panama. He quite clearly shows how the problems of conservation and civil society are global in their origins and nature and have to be understood through a multitude of sites.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its analysis of civil society, local movements and non-governmental organisations. At a time when much hope and expectation is vested in democratisation and local empowerment this work is a sanguine wake-up call to the problems that these notions bring with them. It quite clearly demonstrates how these ideas are manipulated by local actors, often with very different agendas from global organisations, and transformed by the perpetuated dysfunction typical of the institutions implementing of global development and conservation ideals.

Book Description

An in-depth look at the ecology, history, and politics of land use among the Turkana pastoral people in Northern Kenya

Based on sixteen years of fieldwork among the pastoral Turkana people, McCabe examines how individuals use the land and make decisions about mobility, livestock, and the use of natural resources in an environment characterized by aridity, unpredictability, insecurity, and violence. The Turkana are one of the world's most mobile peoples, but understanding why and how they move is a complex task influenced by politics, violence, historical relations among ethnic groups, and the government, as well as by the arid land they call home.

As one of the original members of the South Turkana Ecosystem Project, McCabe draws on a wealth of ecological data in his analysis. His long-standing relationship with four Turkana families personalize his insights and conclusions, inviting readers into the lives of these individuals, their families, and the way they cope with their environment and political events in daily life.

J. Terrence McCabe is Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Long Island Sound: A History of Its People, Places, and Environment

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The Long Island Sound: A History of Its People, Places, and Environment
Marilyn Weigold
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Africa | Travel | Subjects | Books

Natural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0814794009
Release Date: 2004-08-01

Book Description

"More than 40 photographs and illustrations capture the feel of the Sound and render a visual history of its transformation; ultimately, the book shows that despite the over-development of much of the Sound, there are still places that remain pristine and untouched."—Publishers Weekly"For anyone who cares about where we live, this profusely illustrated book would make a swell gift." —Greenwich Time"This popular presentation will make interesting reading for those who treasure the endangered Long Island Sound."—Choice

Spanning the shores of Connecticut and Long Island, New York, theLong Island Sound is one of the most picturesque places in North America. From the discovery of the Sound in 1614, to the adventures of Captain Kidd, to the sinking of the Lexington in the sound in 1840, the Long Island Sound also holds a unique place in American history.

The Long Island Sound traces the growth of fishing and shipbuilding villages along the sound to the development of major industrial ports, resort towns, and suburban communities along the sound. Marilyn Weigold discusses the subsequent overcrowding and pollution that resulted from this prosperity and expansion.

Originally published in 1974 as The American Mediterranean and long out of print, The Long Island Sound has been updated by the author with a new preface and final chapter describing the Sound in the twenty-first century. In this new edition, Weigold particularly focuses on environmental concerns, and describes more current milestones, like the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, who fought and won in 1995 to set aside 100,000 acres as NY State's first forest preserve; the continuous construction of the Long Island Expressway, with its forty-one miles of HOV lanes; the attempt made by several of Connecticut's coastal cities to reinvigorate urban redevelopment; and the Long Island Sound Study's investigation of toxic substances—both natural and man-made—which continue to contaminate the waterway.

Through over 40 stunning photographs and many fascinating stories, The Long Island Sound tells the history of a vastly populated, but underdiscussed, part of America.

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A must have for every child's book collection

Africa Calling, Nighttime Falling
Dan Adlerman
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Multiculturalism | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1879085984

Customer Reviews:

A must have for every child's book collection.......1999-01-05

This lyrically penned and exquisitely illustrated story is sure to delight children from ages 3 to 60. The story is well developed and extremely well written and the illustrations are absolutely breath-taking...this book is a true work of art. I have purchased it for all my nieces, nephews, and other children I know, as well as grandparents and parents alike. Knowing you will enjoy this I encourage you to look at Kin Eagle's nursery rhymes..."It's Raining, It's Pouring" and "Hey Diddle Diddle".

Nachituti's Gift: Economy, Society, and Environment in Central Africa (Africa and the Diaspora)

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Nachituti's Gift: Economy, Society, and Environment in Central Africa (Africa and the Diaspora)
David M. Gordon
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

South Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

Zambia | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

Central Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

Globalization | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0299213641

Book Description

Nachituti’s Gift challenges conventional theories of economic development with a compelling comparative case study of inland fisheries in Zambia and Congo from pre- to postcolonial times. Neoclassical development models conjure a simple, abstract progression from wealth held in people to money or commodities; instead, Gordon argues, primary social networks and oral charters like “Nachituti’s Gift” remained decisive long after the rise of intensive trade and market activities. Interweaving oral traditions, songs, and interviews as well as extensive archival research, Gordon’s lively tale is at once a subtle analysis of economic and social transformations, an insightful exercise in environmental history, and a revealing study of comparative politics.

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What a lovely book!

A South African Night
Rachel Isadora
Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Bedtime & Dreaming | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0688113907

Book Description

Twilight in Johannesburg, South Africa, finds the bustle of the city beginning to subside. Work is over, and it is time for rest. But in Kruger National Park the setting sun beckons the animals and their young from the bush. On the darkened plain it is time to hunt, to graze, and to cool off in the night air. Rachel Isadora's portrayals of South Africa that delighted her readers in At the Crossroads and Over the Green Hills continue in this breathtakingly beautiful picture book.

Customer Reviews:

What a lovely book!.......1999-07-11

I just bought this book for my grandchild and was so happy that he enjoyed it as much as myself. I am from South Africa, and was glad to find a book that showed the joy and sweetness of that country. People around the world forget that there are little children that go to sleep everynight all over S.A. and just live simple lives. The pictures were realistic and lovely and made me homesick! I think this gives my grandchild a wonderful view of an incredible country and they have brought back memories for me. Thank You

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People, Plants, and Justice

Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Environmental & Natural Resources Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Environmental & Natural Resources Law | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Natural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0231108117

Book Description

In an era of market triumphalism, this book probes the social and environmental consequences of market-linked nature conservation schemes. Rather than supporting a new anti-market orthodoxy, Charles Zerner and colleagues assert that there is no universal entity, "the market." Analysis and remedies must be based on broader considerations of history, culture, and geography in order to establish meaningful and lasting changes in policy and practice.

Original case studies from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the South Pacific focus on topics as diverse as ecotourism, bioprospecting, oil extraction, cyanide fishing, timber extraction, and property rights. The cases position concerns about biodiversity conservation and resource management within social justice and legal perspectives, providing new insights for students, scholars, policy professionals and donor/foundations engaged in international conservation and social justice.

Peoples of the Desert (Low, Robert, Peoples and Their Environments.)

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Disappointing

Peoples of the Desert (Low, Robert, Peoples and Their Environments.)
Robert Low
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

West Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0823922960

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2005-05-24

I got this book as well as "Peoples of the Savanna" to help me prepare a presentation about !Kung Bushmen and Herero to my son's 3rd grade class. I already know a lot about !Kung and Herero, but I don't have much experience teaching 3rd graders. These books aren't the worst of those I looked at, but they really don't have a lot of information about the people.

This 24 page book has 10 chapters, a glossary and an index, describing the Tuareg and the San. About half of the pages are photographs of San or Tuareg. Most of the chapters in the book attempts to summarize the way Tuareg and San respond to desert life ("Peoples of the Desert," "Life on the Move," "Desert Food," "Clothing," "Homes," "Families" and Communities," and "Children of the Desert"). There are also chapters describing deserts and animals living there.

This book tries to do too much: describe San, Tuareg and the desert. There's good information here about the desert, but the information about San and Tuareg is too vague. Most of the statements about the San and Tuareg could describe any low-technology people. The book would work better if it focused on how people live in the desert, rather than just these two groups.

A big problem with the 2 books I looked at is that they have described the San in the "Peoples of the Desert" book and the Herero in the "Peoples of the Savanna." This makes no sense since a lot San and Herero live in the same place. The !Kung San, for example, live among Herero in northwestern Botswana.

Most of the children's books I looked at were dull, and they felt like condensed versions of adult books. This book gets stars because it is does try to appeal to young elementary school children.

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People and Environment in Africa

Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

There is currently a lot of interest among people about environment relationships in Africa. This book brings together an impressive team of researchers writing on a wide variety of topics and locations in the African continents.

Africa South of the Sahara (Regions of the World)

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Africa South of the Sahara (Regions of the World)

Manufacturer: Heinemann Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Geography | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0431907161

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