Neither Poor Nor Rich But “Malcontent”: An Anotomy of Contemporary Environmentalisms

Year 2014, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 9 - 24, 03.07.2014

Bengi Akbulut

Abstract

Proliferation of environmental movements, both in number and in geographical-spatial scope, has certainly been one of the markers of contemporary times. The analytical frameworks within which the wealth of issues posed by contemporary environmental movements are to be addressed, however, have largely lagged behind. This paper problematizes, in particular, the ability of the existing literature to accurately capture the underlying motivations of environmental movements. It illustrates, by utilizing a case study of a resistance against a coal plant in Gerze, Turkey, that a type of environmental activism that cannot be explained by livelihood concerns or post-materialist values is emerging and becoming increasingly common.

Keywords

Environmental movements , environmentalism of the poor , environmentalism of the rich , Gerze , environmentalism of the malcontent.

Fakirler, Zenginler, Hoşnutsuzlar: Güncel Çevre Hareketlerinin Bir Anatomisi

Abstract

Çevre hareketlerinin hem niceliksel hem de coğrafi kapsam açısından hızla yükselişi
kuşkusuz günümüzün siyasi-toplumsal manzarasını şekillendiren en önemli gelişmelerden
birisidir. Ancak, bu hareketlerin tartışılabileceği analitik yaklaşımların bu yükselişe ayak
uydurabildiği söylenemez. Bu makale, mevcut yazının çevre hareketlerini motive eden saikleri
açımlama konusunda sınırlı kaldığı noktalara değinmektedir. Bu çerçevede Gerze’de yapılması
planlanan termik santrale karşı gelişen direnişi tartışarak, geçim kaynaklarını koruma amacı veya post-materyalist çevre değerleriyle tam olarak açıklanamayan bir tür çevreciliğin varlığını
ve yaygınlığını ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Çevre hareketleri , yoksulların çevreciliği , zenginlerin çevreciliği , Gerze , hoşnutsuzların çevreciliği

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