Doctoral Dissertation Research: Socio-Politcal Dimensions of Solid Waste Disposal

这个博士论文研究改进项目将分析城市固体废物在城市瓦哈卡，墨西哥的冲突。 研究将对比两个核心群体及其盟友的空间和代表性的战术和战略，他们都在城市城市生活垃圾管理的政治内讧。 这两个主要群体是：（a）反对垃圾场当前位置和管理的社区活动家;（B）蹲在垃圾场上以回收垃圾为生的拾荒者，这两个群体采用不同的垃圾表示法（作为风险或资源）;实施不同的空间组织战略;并与国家和非国家（NGO）、地方和全球组织建立竞争网络。 这些网络使两个核心小组能够影响垃圾场的管理和更广泛的城市发展政策的方向。为了评估这些政治，研究解决了以下主要问题：如何不同的角度对垃圾-从风险到资源-动员通过（a）的组织的空间战略（包括他们如何在城市空间中运作，他们在抗议期间适当的空间，和他们的联盟建设），（B）他们的垃圾问题的代表？一组附带的问题是：对于组织的普通成员来说，垃圾作为一种资源或风险的观点在多大程度上有所不同？这种变化如何影响组织凝聚力？以及，在何种程度上是这种凝聚力介导的组织内差异沿着线的阶级，性别和individuals（在瓦哈卡的16个不同的土著群体）。更一般地说，这项研究将有助于城市固体废物的问题和解决方案的理解在全球南部。当人们对北方国家，特别是美国的“垃圾危机”给予很大关注的时候，对全球南方的垃圾政治却关注得较少。具有讽刺意味的是，当北方国家正在处理数十年选址问题和昂贵且环境可疑的城市固体废物技术的后果时，像墨西哥这样的国家正试图引进这些相同的知识和做法，以实现“现代化”。然而，在这个完全不同的文化环境中，垃圾不仅仅是“废物”，也是“矿石”-作为家庭生存战略的一部分而开采的资源。这些对垃圾的不同理解和使用是全球南方城市土地和社会再生产斗争的基础。简而言之，在瓦哈卡，正如在拉丁美洲、非洲和亚洲的许多其他发展中城市一样，城市固体废物的政治根源在于渴望确保健康环境的社区活动家与靠正规经济丢弃物生存的拾荒者之间的冲突。此外，地方非政府组织领导人以及国家和国际组织提出的可持续发展理想只能在瓦哈卡等特定地区并通过这些地区实现。随着全球南方城市化的增加，确定适合当地的技术来处理随之而来的污染问题，因此依赖于基于城市固体废物管理等问题的当地现实的调查。 作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生建立一个强大的独立的研究生涯。

This Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement project will analyze conflicts over municipal solid waste in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. The research will contrast the spatial and representational tactics and strategies of two core groups and their allies, all of whom are engaged in political infighting over MSW management in the city. These two main groups are: (a) neighborhood activists, who are opposed to the current location and management of the dump; and (b) scavengers, who have squatted on the dump and make their living recycling items from it. These two groups employ different representations of garbage (as risk or resource); implement distinct spatial-organizational strategies; and forge competing networks with state and non-state (NGO), local and global, organizations. These networks enable the two core groups to affect management of the dumpsite and the direction of broader urban development policy. In order to assess these politics, the research addresses the following primary question: How are different perspectives on garbage - from risk to resource - mobilized through (a) the spatial strategies of the organizations (including how they operate in urban space, the spaces they appropriate during protests, and their coalition building), and (b) their representations of the garbage problem? A set of ancillary questions is: To what extent do views of garbage as a resource or risk vary for the rank-and-file members of the organizations? How does this variability affect organizational cohesion? And, to what extent is this cohesion mediated by intra-organizational differences along the lines of class, gender, and indigeneity (among Oaxaca's 16 different indigenous groups).More generally, this research will contribute to the understanding of MSW problems and solutions in the global south. While much attention has been paid to the "garbage crisis" in northern countries, especially the United States, less attention has been paid to the politics of garbage in the global south. Ironically, at the time that northern countries are dealing with the aftermath of decades of siting problems and costly and environmentally suspect MSW technologies, countries like Mexico are trying to import these very same knowledges and practices in an effort to "modernize". Within this very different cultural milieu, however, garbage is not simply "waste," but also "ore" - a resource mined as a part of household survival strategies. These distinct understandings and uses of garbage underlie a number of key conflicts over urban land and struggles over social reproduction in the global south. In short, in Oaxaca as in many other growing cities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the politics of MSW are rooted in conflicts between neighborhood activists, eager to secure a healthy environment, and scavengers, who survive on the discards of the formal economy. Further, the ideals of sustainable development as proposed by local NGO leaders and national and international organizations are realized only in and through particular places such as Oaxaca. As urbanization increases throughout the global south, the identification of locally appropriate technologies to deal with concomitant pollutions concerns relies therefore, on inquiries grounded in the local realities of issues such as municipal solid waste management. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.