The research setting and conducting research "at home" -- The commodity chain of river sand and the ecological consequences of river-sand mining -- Government policies and the commodification of river sand -- State ownership and the governmental management of river sand -- Zhuang Villages' perspectives on property rights : "this is our sand" -- The sociocultural consequences of illegal sand mining and local resistance.
Summary:
"This book explores the overexploitation of river-sand and its impact on Zhuang communities in China. A topical phenomenon, the book engages with the concept of authoritarian environmental management through a detailed analysis of state laws and policies on river-sand mining. Additional rich ethnographic material shows that riverfront Zhuang villagers and their indigenous ecological knowledge cannot compete with government policy, economic forces, and development trends in gaining control over river sand governance. This book provides appealing case studies in the interdisciplinary field of political ecology. As an example of "anthropology of home", it is of specific methodological interest"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.