Exam (elaborations)
Exam (elaborations) political ecology (ECHS205)
- Course
- Institution
AN essay on the documentary seed of life and the Degradation of land
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
khubisanhlanhla3
Content preview
POLITICAL ECOLOGY 205SHORT ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
Dukuduku forest found in Norther KwaZulu-Natal is one of the environmental
wonders of this country. The wetland section of this forest is registered as a World
Heritage site by UNESCO. It is thus a prominent conservation project in the country
and one of South Africa’s famous tourist destinations. Like all conservation projects,
social history and discourses of conservation in Dukuduku are steeped in colonial
and apartheid political and economic practices. Despite its colonial origin, post-
apartheid South Africa continues to appropriate this as a symbol of pride, heritage,
and proactive environmentalism. From a political ecology perspective, thus, to
understand the conservation project in the Dukuduku forest, we are expected to 1)
look back into its history to understand contemporary context and dynamics and 2)
the political and economic forces that shaped its existence. What these mean is that
we have to ask questions such as:
• How are the successive conservation projects in the Dukuduku forest
represented both in the past and present?
• What is the social history of this conservation area?
• How does it operate and who runs and controls its operation? How does it
sustain itself?
• Who benefits from it and how?
• What happened to the people who lived in it? Do they still live in the park?
• Who loses and gains from these conservation practices?
Critiquing the colonial legacy of conservation discourses and practices, however,
does not mean that we do not want or need conservations. It only means we need to
frame them within the decoloniality project and transform them to address/redress
wrongs of the past.
ESSAY QUESTION AND GUIDE FOR SUBMISSION
Write a short essay based on these:
• Outline a brief social history of the Dukuduku forest and the prevailing
conservation discourses and practices;
• reflect on this using the political ecology of conservation discourses/practices.
• The essay should address the origin of the conservation projects and the
discourses and the power dynamics that contributed to the establishment and
continued existence of the nature reserve in Dukuduku.
• Your work needs to reflect on these through a political ecological lens, and
draw from relevant theories and concepts to unpack and interrogate the
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller khubisanhlanhla3. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $2.91. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
59325 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now