Inclusive recycling movements: a green deep democracy from below
Journal article, 2020

This paper examines the multiple strategies articulated by grassroots recycler networks to bring about socioenvironmental change. The paper shows how these networks are an emblematic case of grassroots governmentality, whereby urban poor communities contribute to building more inclusive environmental regimes by developing technologies of power more typical of the powerful. These technologies include enumeration, with its resulting self-knowledge; the production of discourses and rationalities of social inclusion and environmental sustainability; and engagement in open and diverse alliances, at times with actors holding apparently antagonistic interests. The paper also reveals how recycling networks are a representative case of deep and green democracy. It is deep democracy, as grassroots networks strive to gain deep and true representativeness in their territories. It is green democracy, as it illustrates alternative pathways to environmental governance that is not limited to state and global organizations, but that also includes a range of control techniques emanating from the communities themselves.

grassroots governmentality

waste pickers&#8217

movement

enumeration

citizenship

grassroots networks

Author

Maria Jose Zapata Campos

University of Gothenburg

Sebastian Carenzo

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas

National University of Quilmes

Jaan-Henrik Kain

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Urban Design and Planning

Michael Oloko

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science & Technology

Jessica Perez Reynosa

Central American University UCA

Patrik Zapata

University of Gothenburg

Environment and Urbanization

0956-2478 (ISSN) 17460301 (eISSN)

Vol. In Press 0956247820967621

Recycling networks. Grassroots resilience tackling climate, environmental and poverty challenges

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2016-06289), 2017-01-01 -- 2019-12-31.

Subject Categories

Social Sciences Interdisciplinary

Environmental Management

History of Technology

DOI

10.1177/0956247820967621

More information

Latest update

12/7/2020