Polluted Transformations of Fluid Commons in Bangladesh: Shipbreaking and 'Enclosure by Contamination'.

This article examines the compound dispossessions experienced by Zele fishermen in a wetlands ecology materially transformed by pollution. 'Enclosure by contamination' conceptualizes how capitalist activities can change the biophysical properties of commons with dispossessive effects on human and mo...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Social Analysis Vol. 68; no. 2; pp. 44 - 65
Autor principal: Dewan, Camelia
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Berghahn Books 2024
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:This article examines the compound dispossessions experienced by Zele fishermen in a wetlands ecology materially transformed by pollution. 'Enclosure by contamination' conceptualizes how capitalist activities can change the biophysical properties of commons with dispossessive effects on human and more-than-human health and abilities to sustain life, far beyond sites of extraction. By historicizing enclosures in Bengal, I suggest that the term khas (public, state-owned) can be used to expand the usage of 'commons' beyond community-based natural resource management. Second, I show how the movement of toxic residues through 'fluid commons' changes the very material qualities and affordances of these entangled soaking ecologies. Lastly, I argue that specific ecological characteristics of fluid commons enable evasion of liability and must be addressed in efforts to make ship recycling 'green'.