Case uitwerking
Essay 2 Economy & Ecology
- Instelling
- Universiteit Leiden (UL)
Essay on water as a total fact and the relationships between water, society, and political-economy
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E&E essay 2Nina Aalders, 2777843
Assignment
According to Orlove and Caton, water is a ‘total social fact’: one can see the whole of
society in a glass of water. Explain how three authors from the second half of the course
describe the relationships between water, society, and political-economy. Discuss both
their arguments and what examples or evidence they provide.
Not all the texts we have read will be appropriate. If you summarize a text not
relevant for this question you will have to redo. Furthermore, not all portions of a text will
concern our topic. Sometimes, the relevant passages might come late or be dispersed
throughout. Do not try to describe the content of texts in their entirety: focus only on the
parts relevant to the question.
Be sure to follow conventional essay structure, with an introduction setting up the
theme / question, distinct paragraphs exploring the relevant parts of each text, and a
conclusion providing a summary of the connections between them. Minimum 1500,
maximum 1800 words. The essay is graded pass / fail; one redo is available in the event of
the latter. The essay must be passed to take the final exam.
Describe the relationship between water, society and political-economy
, Essay
Water is involved in a lot of aspects of society. People have often said to me that water is
one of the most important substances in our lives. It is part of how we are born, part of our
bodies and our survival, and part of the systems in our economy and politics. Water is
present in everything. In this essay, I will first talk about Linton et al (2014), who argue that
the hydrosocial cycle shows water’s involvement in different aspects of our society and can
help us gain insight into the political and economic processes that are involved in our
society. After that, I will say something about Orlove et al (2010), who argue that water is a
social, total fact, cutting across most aspects of society. Third, I will talk a bit more about
Swyngedouw (2004), who presents the argument that society can be seen as a glass of water
and that most, if not all, aspects of society can be seen in this glass of water and the
competition over access to water. These authors all present different arguments and
evidence in order to prove their points, which will also be included in the essay.
Furthermore, they each say something about the connection between water, society and
political-economy, whether these things are connected and influence each other or not.
Lastly, I will summarize the points these authors try to make on the connection between
water, society and political-economy and give a summary of the evidence they provide to
prove their points.
First, Linton et al (2014) argues that the hydrosocial cycle helps us gain insight into politics
and economy. Examining water through the hydrosocial cycle starts with defining the
concept. According to Linton et al (2014: 175), the hydrosocial cycle is a ‘socio-natural
process by which water and society make and remake each other over space and time’. In
this definition, Linton et al (2014) links the ‘natural’, namely water, and society. They say all
aspects of society and water interact with each other, are connected, and, this way, keep
influencing each other. They use water to demonstrate both the social and physical
processes of water, this wat giving insight into the politics and economics in society, since in
this process, water is part of how money and capital circulate in society’s economics and
policies.
Related to this connection between water, society and political-economy, Linton et al (2014:
178) gives the example of Canada. Here, dams were built to hold the water in place, which
then had consequences for different parts of society and is connected to the argument
Linton et al (2014) give regarding society and political-economy. The dams holding the water
back are part of the policies and economic processes in society, but are also influencing the
indigenous communities’ water, economy and society. The dam and holding back of the
waters’ flow influenced this, because of the transformation in hydrologic processes. Water
and its natural flow changed, which then changed their society, for example through their
access to water. This shows how water, society and political-economy can be connected.
Second, Orlove et al (2010: 402) argue that water is ‘social and total’, in that it cuts across
most aspects of society, including political and economic aspects. In this, Orlove et al (2010)
describes the relationship between water, society and political-economy, because water is
part of most of society, where it influences and is influenced by society, including political-
economy.
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