Thank you for this call Rebecca and curious what you come up with. While y'all are digging, if you could also prioritize non-white authors and perspective, that would be great. Since the white European perspective is what got us in this mess in the first place. Amy
------- Amy Freitag NOAA NCCOS Social Scientist [email protected] On Fri, Sep 4, 2020, 8:14 AM Gruby,Rebecca <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Colleagues, > > Thank you for this excellent discussion! I Tweeted about this issue > yesterday and it’s receiving quite a bit of attention, including from many > non-social scientists who are learning about ToC critiques for the first > time. I promised to share a reading list with anyone who emailed me and I’m > getting flooded with requests. What an awesome opportunity, and I don't > want to waste it. What are your favorite ToC critiques written for *public > and non-specialist audiences*? Ideally open access. Looking for material > that is accessible to everyone. > > Thanks in advance! > > Rebecca > ____________________________ > > Dr. Rebecca Gruby > Associate Professor > Dept. of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources > Colorado State University > > Phone: +1 (970) 491-5220 > Skype: Rebecca.Gruby > Office: Forestry, Rm. 234 > Web: Gruby Lab <https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/rebeccagruby/> > Human Dimensions of Large Marine Protected Areas > <https://humansandlargempas.com/> > > Visit CSU Land Acknowledgment <https://landacknowledgment.colostate.edu/> for > history of Native peoples and nations that lived and stewarded the land > where the university now resides. > > > On Sep 3, 2020, at 6:54 PM, kashwan <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear GEP Colleagues, > > Thank you for such an insightful thread -- I couldn't agree more with the > suggestion from Dimitris that there is definitely an ISA Workshop and > potentially a writing project that would be extremely valuable in the > classroom. > > There is a common that between two recent comments that I would like to > build on: 1) DG Webster's insightful comments on the contingency of the > tragedy of commons related to the nature of power distribution, and 2) > Jen's fantastic solution to the racist legacies of Hardin's life and work. > I think both these comments show us a way out of what I see as the > confounding of analytical and empirical arguments related to the tragedy of > commons. Let me explain. > > At the core of it, tragedy is a behavioral argument. As many have pointed > out, the pasture was used as a metaphor, not as an empirical example > (though it may have been inspired by misinformed writings on the historical > British commons). Ostrom took on the core behavioral argument and exposed > the contingency/incompleteness of the arguments that informed Hardin's > arguments (and still do for much of the work in game theory and > rational-choice theory in mainstream Economics and Public Choice > literature). That's why I believe that Jen's solution to the problem is > brilliant, because if one talks about Ostrom's work in its totality, the > analytical core of Hardin's argument is fully covered. We don't miss > anything at all by not discussing Hardin's writings, with the advantage > that one doen't have to make students read such an obviously racist piece. > And, by the way, correct me if I am wrong, no matter how hard one tries, > some students will invariably use the written word to reinforce their > pre-existing biases (and label the professor as a liberal brain-washer in > the process). That's why I am going to adopt Jen's solution in future > classes. > > A second point on the analytical-empirical confounding. From this vantage > point, bringing in the question of historical commons (which is discussed > in Susan Buck's essay) or the question of scale that is often brought up in > different contexts, is a bit of a distraction from the core analytical > point of the behavioral roots of the tragedy. In that context, I think DG > Webster's comments (and the attached article) presents an analytically > oriented way of engaging the scale question within the same framework > (without making it overly empirical). When it comes to the interests of the > powerful, tragedies of the commons have been avoided in many cases (it's a > different matter that they have been resolved in ways that continue to > provide the powerful actors a distinct advantage in the post-solution > world. Hope that makes sense. > > I would argue that these two types of confusions and the related > misunderstanding of the tragedy argument partly explain the continued use > of the tragedy metaphor and associated frameworks by some on the left (as > Jan mentioned). Plus, there is also a deep love for technocratic solutions > (as in technocratic socialism). > > Lastly, coincidentally, I have been working on two different dimensions of > the same debate about the racist legacies of American environmentalism -- > will separately share a piece that I wrote for the Conversation on the same > topic (though it doesn't refer to Hardin per se). > > Best, > Prakash > > On Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at 7:28:15 PM UTC-4 j.e.selby wrote: > >> Dear all, >> >> Thanks for a great thread everyone (and apologies that this comes after >> the thread has died down - email problems). >> >> My own (still developing) approach to these issues is different again. I >> am increasingly of the view that I can’t ignore questions of race, and >> instead need to put them front and centre (including facing up to my own >> previous neglect/underestimation of them). So when I teach IR theory I now >> want students to know that as a modern field it started as the study of >> racial hierarchies and race development. I can no longer teach Kant or >> Hegel without also teaching their deeply racist anthropologies and >> geographies. When I teach Israeli-Palestinian politics, I find the part >> played by racist ideas in shaping the conflict historically (including >> racialised representations of the environment) difficult to ignore. And on >> environmental politics, I very much agree with Dimitris that racist ideas >> go well beyond Hardin. Indeed, when I look at issues of environmental >> security, I would say that a very large proportion of both public and >> policy commentary, and academic research on the subject, operates with >> assumptions which are in key respects racialised legacies of European >> colonialism. Even the most left wing (including post-colonial) authors >> sometimes buy into these frameworks. And given this, I see it as crucial to >> try to sensitive students to these issues. There’s no point blacklisting >> Hardin if we continue to teach authors where similar assumptions are but >> better hidden. >> >> As regards solutions, well that depends what problems we are looking for >> solutions for. Solutions to environmental problems (or bad policy thereon) >> are one matter. But another, all too obvious at the moment, is race >> conflict. And given especially that eco-fascist ideas seem to be on the >> rise again, with the grave possibility that they might develop further >> (just wait for the far right to start embracing climate change more fully, >> and using this as an additional rationale for nativism and white >> supremacism), it seems to me that educating students about this dark side >> of environmental politics is an important responsibility. >> >> Best wishes, and thanks all again, >> >> Jan >> >> PS: new email address - I've moved to University of Sheffield since >> lasting posting. >> >> >> >> Jan Selby >> Professor of Politics and International Relations >> Department of Politics and IR >> University of Sheffield >> https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/politics/people/academic-staff/jan-selby >> <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sheffield.ac.uk%2Fpolitics%2Fpeople%2Facademic-staff%2Fjan-selby&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649838184&sdata=3ngEbY9ZgMGEdqzBhYQ7Wp%2ForLLGbRgOrctvKdo6b7c%3D&reserved=0> >> https://politicsecology.wordpress.com/ >> <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpoliticsecology.wordpress.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649848177&sdata=57zGz%2BRmb2wbnP51WGk7Ph%2BZYxhQsXsLuHz68lg9rHw%3D&reserved=0> >> >> >> >> >> >> On 1 Sep 2020, at 11:51, Jennifer Allan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hello everyone, >> >> Thank you for the wonderful discussion and resources. I've made a >> slightly different choice on this question: I chose not to directly teach >> the work of a racist, who was also wrong. I agree there are insights for >> environmental politics, but they are covered by prisoner's dilemmas, >> Ostrom's work on the commons, and other ideas cited above. >> >> I do this for two reasons. First, I ask my students if they have heard >> the phrase "tragedy of the commons" or the basic argument (after I outline >> it). Maybe one student has. In other words, I would be introducing this >> phrase - and all its baggage - into their repertoire, and perpetuating its >> continued use in various circles. Second, I'm not comfortable giving a >> diverse student population a reading with such problematic racist language. >> A lot could be done to prep students and to debrief with them, but I've >> made the decision to not put my students in that situation in the first >> place and risk further marginalizing some of them from academia. >> >> I talk to my students that this is an idea that they may hear about. That >> it's become a popular stand in for many of the complex ideas that we >> discuss in class. I explain that when people use it, they strip it of its >> ideological foundations / project, and forget that it's empirically wrong. >> I provide some of the resources already cited above, but I do not direct >> them to the original work. >> >> I don't claim this is the best response to this difficult issue, but it's >> the one I've decided for the time being. >> All the best, >> Jen >> >> On Mon, Aug 31, 2020 at 7:35 PM 'Jonathan Rosenberg' via gep-ed < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Dimitris makes a great point. On a personal note--I am currently >>> teaching 2 courses: Environmental Politics and Policy, and International >>> Development. It is instructive to consider how differently Theodore >>> Roosevelt figures in the historical background for each of them. >>> >>> Best, >>> Jonathan >>> >>> On Mon, Aug 31, 2020 at 1:29 PM Stevis,Dimitris < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Ron and all: >>>> >>>> A very interesting discussion that cannot be limited to Hardin’s >>>> misreading of history- as this old poem suggests - >>>> http://www.onthecommons.org/magazine/“stealing-common-goose”#sthash.B7yCrydB.dpbs >>>> <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-eu.mimecast.com%2Fs%2F5yz1CY5l2iAEVLvTNajF6%3Fdomain%3Donthecommons.org&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649848177&sdata=63hbeylY1GtfKYqXfWFbXZ2MiiYQyzryJB7m8yCAFYk%3D&reserved=0> >>>> >>>> >>>> The environmental movement, in the US and other colonial countries, has >>>> a significant share of racist, eugenisist etc founders, such as Muir, >>>> Madison Grant, Osborn Sr (Museum of Natural History), Julian Huxley >>>> (UNESCO) and others >>>> https://orionmagazine.org/article/conservation-and-eugenics/ >>>> <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-eu.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FDjtrC9gLlT2L4k6FEykDm%3Fdomain%3Dorionmagazine.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649848177&sdata=wGiKssO2ePRWiAlOp0u7UeAAF0Oidyat8ORgq6i7MTQ%3D&reserved=0> >>>> and >>>> https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/environmentalisms-racist-history >>>> <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-eu.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FiftdC0LX1hmqNG9c2Y9Wa%3Fdomain%3Dnewyorker.com&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649858173&sdata=h%2FgQUx6DbovCnf7eSNXZgdAHbjpzY34wOynA9EKKuMQ%3D&reserved=0> >>>> For >>>> a longer account see >>>> https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/border-walls-gone-green >>>> <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-eu.mimecast.com%2Fs%2F8zGTCg2QrTGOEAjT35YYk%3Fdomain%3Dupress.umn.edu&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649858173&sdata=qf6vZUSAOyQZH%2Bp83DCezaPf66hwtSL1iPV95m0Fyw8%3D&reserved=0> >>>> >>>> It may useful for IEP to address these wider genealogy and how it has >>>> influenced the framing and study of environmental politics, certainly for >>>> the older amongst us. Focusing on Hardin is necessary but should not >>>> obscure this broader and painful context within which he acquired >>>> legitimacy. This is all the more timely as this story is used by the >>>> neoliberal right to criticize environmentalism as a whole - >>>> https://capitalresearch.org/article/a-darker-shade-of-green-environmentalisms-origins-in-eugenics/ >>>> <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-eu.mimecast.com%2Fs%2Ft0SgCj8OxuRKonwi1--Y8%3Fdomain%3Dcapitalresearch.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649868166&sdata=%2BGH9x4nuRGlONPANyERaN1NPnVJ4SzEyqiJEAHvlOQE%3D&reserved=0> >>>> >>>> Perhaps there is an ISA workshop in this. >>>> >>>> D >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Aug 31, 2020, at 8:58 PM, Rafael Friedmann <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> I’d like to see examples of how we’ve been able to effectively counter >>>> the interests of the few to continue with Business-as-usual >>>> overexploitation or exclusion of externalities and limited analyses of >>>> broader systemic impacts. This is the crux more than how much we liked or >>>> not TOC and Hardin. Give me solutions! Give me examples of what has worked >>>> – but on a massive scale—which is what is needed to actively and >>>> successfully tackle the broad impacts we are seeing and will otherwise >>>> experience with global climate change. >>>> >>>> Rafael >>>> *From: *DG Webster >>>> *Sent: *Monday, August 31, 2020 10:13 AM >>>> *To: *Ronald Mitchell >>>> *Cc: *GEP-Ed List >>>> *Subject: *Re: [gep-ed] RE: Tragedy of the Commons >>>> >>>> Hi Ron, >>>> >>>> Thanks for raising the discussion. I was horrified when I first read >>>> the full version of Hardin't ToC piece, having only read excerpts in >>>> various courses. My last book, Beyond the Tragedy in Global Fisheries, is >>>> essentially a long, drawn-out refutation of the ToC as the fundamental >>>> problem in fisheries governance. It's probably too fisheries-centric for >>>> most but the core concept of power disconnects links up Ostrom, Buck, and >>>> other great suggestions here. In short: When the people making decisions >>>> about resource use (through markets, government, etc.) are able to insulate >>>> themselves from the costs of overexploitation, power disconnects are wide >>>> and environmental damage will be high. When the people making decisions >>>> about resource use are vulnerable to those costs, then power disconnects >>>> are narrow and they're likely to figure out some way to manage resources >>>> sustainably. This could include rules to govern the commons, but extends to >>>> laws, science/tech, etc. More importantly, this perspective asserts that >>>> social justice isn't a nice add-on to environmental protection but a >>>> fundamental requirement. Of course, others make similar arguments, many in >>>> re: pollution as Dana pointed out. Would be great to see more >>>> interdisciplinary work on the concept. See attached for an >>>> interdisciplinary paper that uses power disconnects as part of a critique >>>> of ITQs and other panaceas in fisheries. >>>> >>>> best, >>>> dgwebster >>>> >>>> >>>> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/28abb6cd-08df-4ff8-8294-9416941bafdan%40googlegroups.com > <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fgep-ed%2F28abb6cd-08df-4ff8-8294-9416941bafdan%2540googlegroups.com%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dfooter&data=02%7C01%7Crebecca.gruby%40colostate.edu%7Cb4da3663c3e3435c76f408d8506d105d%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637347776649868166&sdata=YviRvF%2BoYJyRl6QHsFygSS3hzVYV8BdAD3rY4tkoIfM%3D&reserved=0> > . > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/2AE17790-287D-41E8-8AED-952A543E3956%40colostate.edu > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/2AE17790-287D-41E8-8AED-952A543E3956%40colostate.edu?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "gep-ed" group. 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