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Concrete Jungles

Urban Pollution and the Politics of Difference in the Caribbean

By (author) Jaffe
Format: Paperback / softback
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc, New York, United States
Published: 26th Apr 2016
Dimensions: w 156mm h 234mm d 12mm
Weight: 328g
ISBN-10: 0190273593
ISBN-13: 9780190273590
Barcode No: 9780190273590
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Synopsis
In the popular imagination, the Caribbean islands represent tropical paradise. This image, which draws millions of tourists to the region annually, underlies the efforts of many environmentalists to protect Caribbean coral reefs, mangroves, and rainforests. However, a dark side to Caribbean environmentalism lies beyond the tourist's view in urban areas where the islands' poorer citizens suffer from exposure to garbage, untreated sewage, and air pollution. Concrete Jungles explores the reasons why these issues tend to be ignored, demonstrating how mainstream environmentalism reflects and reproduces class and race inequalities. Based on over a decade of research in Kingston, Jamaica and Willemstad, Curacao, Rivke Jaffe contrasts the environmentalism of largely middle-class professionals with the environmentalism of inner-city residents. The book combines a sophisticated discussion of the politics of difference with rich ethnographic detail, including vivid depictions of Caribbean ghettos and elite enclaves. Jaffe also extends her analysis beyond ethnographic research, seeking to understand the role of colonial history in shaping the current trends in pollution and urban space. A thorough analysis of the hidden inequalities of mainstream environmentalism, Concrete Jungles provides a political ecology of urban pollution with significant implications for the future of environmentalism.

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"Jaffe's excellent study provides a refreshing and meticulously derived new perspective on urban Caribbean environments, combining a comprehensive historical and ethnographic narrative of the context of people, places, and politics in the region. Insights offered on everyday livelihoods within lowincome urban neighborhoods in Curacao and Jamaica, and the contradictory urban naturalisms found across both societies, present readers with a striking
comparative understanding of Caribbean cities and contribute a much welcomed further assessment of urban anthropological and naturesociety relations in the urban South." -- Dan Howard , New West Indian Guide