Environmentalism and Contemporary Heterotopia: Novel Encounters with Waste

Contemporary space is configured as heterotopia, an in-between space of dissonance where encounters with waste are a daily occurrence and dirty matter refuses to submit to human demands. This book explores how heterotopia offer entanglements with a dirty other that promote novel opportunities for humans to ethically respond and be responsible to the continued presence of waste and generate a sense of ecological care for a dirty world.

Format: Hardback
Length: 180 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

Contemporary environmentalism faces a complex challenge as it navigates between the utopian ideal of a pristine and pure earthly Eden and the dystopian prophecy of an environmental apocalypse. Instead of fitting into one of these familiar categories, contemporary space is characterized as heterotopia, a space of dissonance where encounters with waste are a daily occurrence and where dirty matter resists human demands and intentions. This book explores how contemporary heterotopias offer entanglements with a dirty other that promote innovative opportunities for humans to respond ethically and be responsible for the ongoing presence of waste and cultivate a sense of ecological care for a dirty world. By challenging readers to move away from a utopian vision of what the environment should be and towards an understanding of how we can ethically exist within and around the dirtied environment as it is, this book aims to contribute to the fields of cultural studies, environmental rhetorics, and environmental ethics.

In contemporary environmentalism, the tension between utopian ideals and dystopian prophecies creates a challenging landscape. While the desire for a clean and pure earthly Eden remains prevalent, the realization of such an ideal has proven elusive. Similarly, the fear of an environmental apocalypse has not materialized, yet the consequences of human actions on the planet continue to be felt. This dichotomy leads to a unique configuration of space, where contemporary heterotopia emerges as an in-between space of dissonance. In heterotopias, encounters with waste are a daily occurrence, and dirty matter refuses to submit to human demands and intentions. This book explores the role of contemporary heterotopias in shaping our understanding of environmental responsibility and care. By examining a series of spaces where acts of leisure and recreation are configured alongside vibrant dirty matter, the book reveals how these spaces offer entanglements with a dirty other that promote novel opportunities for humans to respond ethically and be responsible for the continued presence of waste. Through this exploration, the book urges readers to move away from a utopian vision of what the environment should be and instead asks how we can ethically exist within and around the dirtied environment as it is. By doing so, the book contributes to the fields of cultural studies, environmental rhetorics, and environmental ethics, offering insights into the complex dynamics between human society, waste, and the natural world.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 228 x 161 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793622976